The NFL community continues to mourn former quarterback Dwayne Haskins’ untimely passing on April 9, 2022. Remembered for his brief yet impactful stints with Washington Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers teams like Washington Commanders and Steelers respectively, Haskins left behind an extensive legacy which his family wishes to honor through documentary production; unfortunately this endeavour has resulted in legal proceedings between Haskins’ family members and Kalabrya Haskins (Haskins’ widow), casting doubt over its viability.
Dwayne Haskins Sr., Tamara Haskins and Tamia Haskins fear Kalabrya Haskins might interfere with the release of a documentary about their late son and brother Dwayne Jr. To protect their right to share his story publicly, they initiated legal proceedings against her; yet U.S. District Judge William S. Stickman IV dismissed their suit due to insufficient grounds; Stickman found that any allegations regarding harassment by Kalabrya regarding Haskins’ name and likeness haven’t reached this level necessitating intervention by federal court intervention; instead
Initially, the family accused Kalabrya of opposing the establishment of the Haskins Family Foundation Inc. and interfering with their social media tributes to Haskins. Their lawsuit, aimed at securing their right to memorialize Haskins publicly, was filed in July 2024 but met an unfavorable outcome in court.
The Closure of the Wrongful Death Case
Dwayne Haskins died after being struck by a dump truck while crossing I-595 in Florida where his team was training. Following several settlement negotiations between various parties involved including those representing his estate (truck driver/owner and others involved with injury/death case), his estate made partial settlement agreements with various individuals involved, including both drivers. A wrongful death complaint alleging reckless driving along with allegations of drugging/robbery were eventually dismissed in December 2024 after which all settlement payments have been finalized with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport states all settlement payments have now been finalised, concluding this chapter on Florida law suit and legally closing this chapter on Florida cases altogether.
While the wrongful death suit has concluded, disputes between Haskins’ family and Kalabrya over his estate remain. These ongoing legal wrangles leave fans and supporters wondering when or if their documentary will ever be released – leaving many fans in suspense over its release date.