BMX stuntman Keith King has just been awarded $8.8 million in “damages” from a man who seduced and slept with his wife, allegedly destroying his marriage.
You slept with his wife, Now pay up! Judge rules Francisco Huizar III should pay Jilted husband, Keith King, $8.8million compensation for the pleasure of sleeping with his wife t.co/nUIBcMtfqD
Francisco Huizar III was sued by King after having an 18-month long fling with his wife Danielle. North Carolina law allows a spouse to sue a “homewrecker” for damages if a marriage has ended because of an affair.
If “genuine love and affection” has been destroyed in a marriage, it can be pursued in court.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Huizar And Danielle King Met at a New York BMX Show in August 2015, When Keith Left Her Behind to Attend a Colorado Show
Huizar was working an insurance company booth at the New York BMX show back in August 2015 when Danielle struck up a conversation with him. Her husband had left with their then 3-year-old daughter to attend one of their company shows in Colorado.
After multiple chats, Huizar rented a room close to the Kings’ home in Durham, North Carolina, where the two met at least nine times over three months, the Herald Sun reported.
“And that doesn’t count the times where he met her elsewhere,” King’s attorney, Joanne Foil said.
“From mid-August 2015 to mid-December 2015, Huizar and Danielle spoke on the phone more than 6,187 minutes,” said Foil.
2. King Found Out About His Wife’s Affair With Huizar The Very Month it Started (After Checking Her Phone Bill)
After King saw the same number popping up on his wife’s phone bill over and over, he called and asked Huizar to leave her alone. Though that was the understanding, Huizar joined Danielle at a spa she retreated to on her birthday in February (a gift from Keith).
“Guess who the heck tagged along?” Foil told Durham Superior Court.
“He just conveniently popped up. There is no way that this marriage could have humanly been saved with the level of this man’s involvement,” said Foil.
Court documents revealed that Huizar rented a property close to where the Kings spent time vacationing together during spring and summer of 2016.
Huizar’s attorney pointed to documents indicating that the couple had split up in August 2016, but King’s lawyer argued it was in fact January of 2017.
3. Huizar Attacked King After King Showed up to Danielle’s Apartment While Huizar Was There
In early January 2017, Danielle moved out of the house she shared with Keith and rented an apartment close by.
Keith stopped by one day to find Huizar there, who he didn’t know was on his ex’s lease.
According to the court papers, when Keith saw Huizar, he blew up.
Huizar and King exchanged blows; the situation ended with King in a choke hold.
Huizar’s lawyer argued that Huizar was only trying to “protect his terrified girlfriend from her husband,” but Keith, still being married to Danielle, legally had the upper hand.
4. Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson Awarded King $2.2 million in “Compensatory Damages” And Three Times That in “Punitive Damages”
Y’all know that the real mystery of #TheStaircase is the fact Judge Orlando Hudson has not aged one single day over the intervening years! A miracle, given the amount of hours he lost to #DavidRudolf’s incessant and arrogant ramblings in court!
On Thursday, July 26th, Judge Hudson, famous for his high-profile murder case of Durham-based author Michael Peterson, awarded King $8.8 million, finding Huizar guilty of “criminal conversation, alienation of affection, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery.”
At the conclusion of the trial, Judge Hudson marked it as a “textbook case of how not to end a marriage in North Carolina.”
Huizar’s attorney says that they’re going to appeal.
5. King’s Attorney Said The Affair And Assault Cost BMX Stunt Shows Revenue
King first started learning bike stunts on an Evel Knievel bike he was gifted on Christmas in 1976. Today, he runs his own company: King BMX Stunt Shows–a full-service BMX entertainment company.
Keith has made his mark as a professional flatlander. He competed in both the 1997 and 1998 X Games. He still rides competitively in the stunt shows run by his company and continues to advocate and recruit for the sport.
According to their website, King BMX Stunt Shows is one of the top stunt shows in the nation. Clients range from the NBA, WNBA, NFL, NASCAR, IRL, and state fairs to small-town festivals, colleges and high schools as well as shopping malls, churches and company events.
During the trial, Keith King’s attorney claimed that Danielle’s affair with Huizar cost the company major bucks.
Huizar’s attorney, Cheri Patrick, said Huizar was not responsible for a marriage that was damaged before her client ever met Danielle King.
According to Patrick, King’s six-year marriage was crumbling before the BMX show where Huizar and Danielle first met.
Patrick described King as controlling and manipulative, saying he “routinely reviewed the contents of his wife’s phone, tracked her movements, forced her to wear bikinis and stilettos and did not allow her to dye her blond locks a different hue, among other things.”
Danielle’s only testimony was that she was the one who romantically pursued Huizar.
According to Danielle, her marriage to Keith was an unhappy one from the beginning.