Civil lawsuit filed vs. Chiefs’ Rashee Rice alleges assaults

A former girlfriend of Kansas City Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice has initiated a lawsuit in Texas, claiming he repeatedly assaulted her over an 18-month period from 2023 to 2025. Dacoda Jones, who reported being pregnant during many of the alleged incidents, is seeking over $1 million in damages.

Jones alleges Rice choked her in December 2023 and displayed a pattern of abusive conduct throughout their relationship in both Texas and Missouri until July 2025.

The lawsuit states, “Rice has grabbed, choked, strangled, pushed, thrown, scratched, hit, and headbutted Ms. Jones, as well as struck her with inanimate objects.”

The complaint, filed on Monday, also details incidents where Rice reportedly punched walls, damaged property, and locked her out of their apartment at night.

Jones claims to have suffered physical pain, mental distress, permanent disfigurement, as well as requiring past and future medical care and loss of earnings, which are part of her claims for damages.

It remains uncertain whether law enforcement in the Dallas or Kansas City regions, where the couple lived, were informed of any domestic violence situations at their residences. Requests for records from ESPN have yet to produce results.

One of Jones’ lawyers declined to comment.

“The club is aware [of the lawsuit] and remains in touch with the National Football League,” the Chiefs stated in a Wednesday announcement. Messages to Rice’s representatives and Rice himself have not yet received a response from ESPN.

Rice’s attorney, Sean Lindsey, stated in a release, “On October 9th, 2025, long after the relationship had terminated, Ms. Jones affirmed under penalty of perjury in a sworn Affidavit for Non-Prosecution that ‘Mr. Rice and I had a verbal argument, but he did not punch me.’ We will allow the legal process to take its course and have no additional comments at this time.”

Jones’ lawsuit does not reference any events from October 9, nor does it claim any instances of him physically striking her.

Last month, Jones posted images of the alleged abuse on Instagram, showing a bruised lip, bruises on her legs and chest, scratches on her face and shoulders, and multiple pictures of damaged possessions. She alluded to her alleged abuser as the father of her two children.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, she expressed, “I’m so tired of keeping quiet I’m so tired of protecting his image. I’ve endured too much over 8 years and I’ve had ENOUGH!” She remarked that she and Rice broke up in 2025, saying “and since then it’s been nothing but hell.”

The NFL announced it would investigate the woman’s allegations following her initial social media posts. The league confirmed on Wednesday that “the matter remains under review.”

In 2025, Rice pleaded guilty to felony collision resulting in serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily harm related to a multiple vehicle accident in Dallas from May 2024. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years’ probation, as well as mandated to pay over $115,000 in restitution to the crash victims. Rice was recorded driving 119 mph just before the incident.

Last season, the NFL suspended him for six games for breaching the league’s personal conduct policy stemming from that incident.