Former NBA Player Matt Barnes Faces Legal Trouble After Spitting On Ex-Husband Of Current Fiancee

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Controversy and legal troubles are no stranger to 14-year NBA veteran Matt Barnes.

Neither, it seems, are relationship issues and issues with past romantic partner.

Now both have found Barnes again. He’s currently facing a lawsuit after spitting on the ex-husband of his current fiancee Anansa Sims. The incident occured prior to last week’s NFL playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.

Police arrested Barnes in 2010 on suspicion of domestic violence against his now ex-wife Gloria Govan. The pair eventually separated in 2014. But it didn’t end there. One year later, Barnes got into an altercation with Govan and fellow NBA veteran Derek Fisher, who was dating Govan at the time. Officers did not charge Barnes following the incident.

More than seven years later, he’s once again found himself in hot water involving a violent incident surrounding a romantic relationship.

Matt Barnes Faces Lawsuit From Ex-Husband Of His Current Fiancee

The current ESPN NBA analyst was seen spitting on David Patterson Jr. Patterson Jr. is the ex-husband of Barnes’ current fiancee, prior to the aforementioned NFL playoff game.

Now Patterson Jr. is suing Barnes for battery, assault and emotional distress according to Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports.

In his lawsuit, Patterson reportedly claims he was not aware Barnes would be attending the NFL divisional playoff game between the Niners and Cowboys on Sunday, but the two coincidentally ran into each other on a Levi’s Stadium concourse.

Patterson, who is reportedly seeking unspecified damages, alleges the two started yelling at each other from about 20 feet away, at which point Barnes allegedly walked up to him and spat in his face. He also claims multiple cellphone cameras captured the incident and that Barnes has harassed and threatened him repeatedly in the past.

Those claimed threats allegedly include text messages calling Patterson a “bitch,” “clown” and “fat f***” as well as one message in 2022 that said, “Pull up & get your ass whooped in front of your kids.”

ESPN has not commented on the situation. But such incidents are becomming commonplace for the 42-year-old Barnes.