An ex-girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs forward Rashee Rice has filed a lawsuit in Texas. She accuses the NFL star of repeatedly assaulting her over an 18-month period between 2023 and 2025. Dacoda Jones, who says she was pregnant during many of the alleged assaults, is seeking more than $1 million in damages.
Jones alleges that Rice choked her in December 2023 and exhibited a pattern of abusive behavior during their relationship in Texas and Missouri through July 2025. The lawsuit states: “Rice grabbed, choked, squeezed, pushed, threw, scratched, slapped, and head-butted Ms. Jones, as well as hitting her with objects.”
The lawsuit, filed Monday, also alleges that Rice broke walls, destroyed property and damaged furniture while locking her out of their shared apartment at night.
Jones claimed physical pain and mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, past and future medical treatment and loss of earnings as part of her damages in the lawsuit.
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Lawyers refer to the affidavit
It is unclear whether police in the Dallas or Kansas City areas, where the couple lived, were notified of incidents of domestic violence at their homes. Any inquiries made by “ESPN” to the responsible authorities have so far yielded no results. A lawyer for Jones also declined to comment.
“On October 9, 2025, long after the parties’ relationship had ended, Ms. Jones stated in a non-prosecution affidavit under penalty of perjury, ‘Mr. Rice and I had a verbal altercation, but he did not hit me,'” Rice’s attorney, Sean Lindsey, said in a statement. “We will let the legal process take its course and will have no further comment at this time.”
However, Jones’ lawsuit does not mention an Oct. 9 incident or allege that Rice hit her.
Jones posted photos of the alleged abuse on Instagram last month. It showed a split lip, bruises on his legs and chest, scratches on his face and shoulders, and several pictures of damaged property. She indirectly addressed her alleged perpetrator as the father of her two children.
NFL investigation continues
In the now-deleted Instagram post, she wrote: “I’m so tired of staying quiet. I’m so tired of protecting his image. I’ve been through too much in eight years and I’ve had ENOUGH!” She said she and Rice separated in 2025 “and it’s been nothing but hell since then.”
The NFL said it would investigate the allegations after the woman made her allegations public. On Wednesday, the league said “the case remains under review.”
In 2025, Rice pleaded guilty to a serious motor vehicle accident causing bodily harm and illegal racing on a highway that resulted in several injuries. The accident occurred in Dallas in May 2024. Rice was sentenced to 30 days in prison and five years of probation and was also ordered to pay over $115,000 in restitution to the victims. He was driving at 119 miles per hour (about 191 km/h) shortly before the accident occurred.
The NFL suspended him for six games last season for violating the league’s personality policy resulting from that incident.