Gold Medalist’s Parents Sue Her for ‘Lies’: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know

Olympic Gold Medalist Tianna Madison’s parents want $50,000 from her and her new husband, John Bartoletta, filing a lawsuit calling her stories of bullying, being a sex abuse victim and being forced into bankruptcy by them all lies.

Madison and her husband, John Bartoletta, a Florida businessman, have claimed in several news stories that her parents mismanaged her funds, even forcing her into bankruptcy. Further, they say the Robert and Jo Anne Madison, of Elyria, Ohio, allowed a boy that Madison swears molested her while she was in high school into their home.

Her parents, though, say they’ve been nothing but loving. And they want $25,000 each for their suffering for the pain they say their daughter and new son-in-law are causing thenm.

1. Her parents say they’ve always been loving and generous parents and spent $100,000 on her training.

2. Tianna and John Bartoletta say they are private people — but her hometown newspaper says the couple started threatening her parents in March with lawsuits and trying to sell her story to local newspapers.

3. Tianna’s parents threw their daughter a support rally in Elyria before the Olympics, but she said she was in training and couldn’t come to her own party.

4. Madison isn’t just a runner. She says she’s trying out for a spot on the U.S. bobsled team next month.

It was totally John’s idea and I’m somewhat of a daredevil. We’re all-in. We’re going to become students of the sport, and we’re going to try to shock the world.

5. She won the gold medal as the lead-off runner 4x100m relay team. She also finished fourth in the 100m race.

6. Tianna says she’s “estranged” from her parents. Lawsuits suck.

When I asked about her parents, she used the word “estranged” RT @nzaccardi Parents sue Tianna Madison for defamation chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2012/09/07/par…

— alex goldberger (@alexgoldberger) September 7, 2012

7. Her rich new hubby founded the Unation social media site, where he brags on his wife. A lot.

8. The team of Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and Jeter is the fastest 4X100 meter relay team of athletic history. Maybe the flags helped.

9. Tianna’s a world-champion long jumper, winning medals in Helsinki and just about everywhere she jumped.

10. She was featured in Sports Illustrated “Faces in the Crowd” write-ups way back in 2003 just after she graduated high school.