Former NFL running back Le'Veon Bell was arrested Sunday in Canton, Ohio, in connection with a child support case, according to TMZ.
Bell, 34, was in town for an autograph signing when he was taken into custody on a warrant tied to unpaid child support out of Michigan. Though he lives in California, he had been scheduled to appear at Belden Village Mall in Canton for a meet-and-greet event, per the mall’s website.
TMZ reported Monday that Bell’s attorney, Thomas Shaffer, said the arrest stemmed from "child support payments, or an alleged lack thereof." Shaffer also told TMZ that Bell has been "struggling to make support payments."
TMZ published Bell’s mugshot on Monday as well.
Bell’s NFL career began in 2013 with the Steelers, where he spent five seasons and became one of the league’s top running backs. He earned four All-Pro selections in Pittsburgh before holding out of the 2018 season after refusing to sign the franchise tag. He later played for the Jets, Chiefs, Ravens and Buccaneers, with his last NFL action coming in 2021.
In 2025, an Ohio jury found Bell liable for $25 million in a sexual abuse case brought by a female relative over events that occurred when she was a minor. His brother, La'Vonte, a co-defendant, was ordered to pay $11 million.
Per Fox 8, neither brother responded to Franklin County Court of Common Pleas summonses, which led to a default judgment against them. Neither was criminally charged in the case.
According to TMZ, Bell owes more than $50,000 in child support, and the case originated in Michigan, where the child lives. Bell’s jail record shows he is being held on behalf of “another agency," per Fox 8.
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