Lesbian Court Action (Press, 1 May 1981)
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Summary: Lesbian Court Action (Press, 1 May 1981)
On 1 May 1981, a notable legal case emerged in Los Angeles involving tennis star Billie Jean King and her former partner, Marilyn Barnett. Barnett, aged 33, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court claiming she had been the long-term lover of King, who is a six-time Wimbledon champion and one of the most recognised athletes in America. The suit alleges that their romantic relationship began in 1972 and lasted until 1979, during which time they cohabited in Malibu and New York. In her 13-page complaint, Barnett claimed that King had promised to provide her with lifetime financial support, paralleling the rights given to married couples under a 1977 California Supreme Court ruling concerning "palimony." She asserted that the couple’s relationship included sexual intimacy, which began approximately six months after their initial meetings. Barnett, who is now confined to a wheelchair due to an accident, sought financial support and rights to King’s Malibu home, stating that she continued to reside there. King, aged 37 at the time and on a tennis tour in Florida when the news broke, issued a denial of the claims through a press statement. She expressed her shock and disappointment over Barnett's actions, asserting that the allegations were unfounded. The suit also mentioned King’s husband, Larry, who had been married to her for 16 years. Barnett claimed she sacrificed her career as a hairdresser to function as King’s secretary and caretaker, allowing King to focus entirely on her tennis career. According to Barnett, there was a verbal agreement in which King would provide her a home and support for the rest of her life. This high-profile case drew attention not only because of King’s celebrity status but also due to the implications it held for relationships outside traditional marriage in terms of financial and property rights.
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