A civil lawsuit has been filed in Texas accusing Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice of repeated assaults against his ex-girlfriend over an 18-month period from 2023 to 2025, with the plaintiff seeking more than $1 million in damages. Dacoda Jones, who says she was pregnant during many of the alleged incidents, alleges that Rice engaged in a pattern of abusive behavior throughout their relationship, across both Texas and Missouri, up until July 2025.
The court document claims Rice grabbed, choked, strangled, pushed, threw, scratched, hit, and headbutted Jones, and also struck her with inanimate objects. The lawsuit describes further misconduct such as punching walls, damaging property, breaking furniture, and repeatedly locking her out of their apartment at night.
Jones seeks damages for physical pain and mental distress, physical impairment, disfigurement, past and future medical care, and lost earnings. It is not clear whether police in Dallas or Kansas City—where the couple lived—were notified of these alleged domestic-violence events, and ESPN has not yet been able to obtain records confirming any police involvement.
One of Jones’ lawyers did not provide comment. In a statement, the Chiefs said they are aware of the lawsuit and are coordinating with the National Football League; representatives for Rice did not respond to requests for comment.
Jones had previously shared images on Instagram showing a bruised lip, bruises on her legs and chest, facial and shoulder scratches, and damage to property, and she referred to Rice as the father of her two children in the posts. The original post linking to the allegations has since been deleted. She wrote that she was tired of staying silent and protecting Rice’s image, describing eight years of hardship and saying she had had enough. She stated that the relationship ended in 2025 and that life since then has been “hell.”
The NFL said it would review the allegations after they surfaced publicly, and as of Wednesday the league described the matter as still under review.
Separately, Rice faced legal trouble in 2025 stemming from a May 2024 multicar crash in Dallas in which he pled guilty to a felony count related to collision involving serious bodily injury and to racing on a highway resulting in bodily injury. He received a 30-day jail sentence, five years of probation, and an order to pay more than $115,000 in restitution to victims. He was driving at about 119 mph before the crash, and the NFL suspended him for six games last season for violations of the personal conduct policy tied to these events.
