Evander Kane facing yet another complication as judge rules he must face discovery in abortion-for-pay lawsuit

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane has found himself once again in the news in recent weeks, facing allegations from his spouse Anna that he has a gambling addiction and had been betting on his own games. That instantly led to the National Hockey League saying they'd be conducting their own investigation into the matter. 

Of course, should the investigation turn up any evidence that Kane has been betting on his own games, it could result in the former star forward's expulsion from the League entirely. 

A more recent report indicates that Kane's teammates have grown tired of him and would prefer him not to return to the organization; team GM Doug Wilson reportedly explored trade options for Kane, but nothing came to fruition. Needless to say, his future with the Sharks and in the NHL looks cloudy at best. 

And now, he's facing yet another complication. The go-ahead has been given for discovery in the lawsuit filed by Hope Parker, who alleges Kane reneged on a promise to pay her at least $2 million if she aborted their pregnancy.

Per The Athletic:

“Plaintiff (Parker) was unwilling to terminate the third pregnancy until Defendant (Kane) offered her two to three million dollars to do so,” Johnson wrote. (According to bankruptcy court documents, Parker allegedly aborted a fetus conceived with the hockey player twice before, and Kane paid her $125,000 for the second abortion.) “Then, on June 13, 2018, Plaintiff sent Defendant a text message of her lab results, which confirmed she had terminated the third pregnancy. When Plaintiff requested Defendant update her on the status of her payment, Defendant, for the first time, told (Plaintiff) he was not going to pay her, stating: ‘I’ll have my lawyer contact you I’m not dealing with this any further then.’

“I can infer from the complaint that Plaintiff falsely said he would pay … to abort the third pregnancy, and that he did so to deceive (her) into actually undergoing that abortion.”

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A settlement could happen if Kane wants to avoid more damaging disclosures, like the kind made by his wife, who alleged he bet on his own games (a claim he denies).

Parker’s lawyers wrote in the April 1 complaint that Kane’s communication with their client was urgent. They say his texts to Parker about the pregnancy included concerns about his career, “it will be terrible; this will ruin … my career; I’m begging you please” and suggested she “take the pills,” presumably to end the pregnancy.

Her lawyers said Parker told Kane “she was not going to let him bully her into having an abortion as he had with the first two pregnancies.”

Those were messages Parker allegedly possessed herself. In discovery, she would gain access to all of Kane’s emails and texts, and depose him.

“In an adversary proceeding, the rules of discovery apply,” said Zev Shechtman, a bankruptcy attorney with Danning, Gill, Israel & Krasnoff, LLP. “She can develop the evidence and proceed toward trial on the merits of the remaining claims.”

Kane’s bankruptcy attorney, Stephen Finestone, said, “In ruling on a motion of this type, the court must assume the allegations to be true. On the claim with respect to Ms. Parker’s specific debt, the court has found that, assuming the allegations are true, she has at least stated a basis for a claim at this point. The court reserved for another day the question of whether public policy is a basis to deny Ms. Parker’s claim. Mr. Kane contends that the allegations are … false and once the facts and law are further developed he will prevail.”

The rest of the article can be read here.