A former quarterback in the National Football League wants his marriage to be annulled after claiming a failed 2015 suicide attempt left him mentally incapable of legal consent.
Erik Kramer, who spent 13 years playing professional football including two years in the Canadian Football League during the late 1980s, alleges that his wife, Courtney Baird, stole $50,000 from him before their marriage in 2017, TMZ reported.
According to court documents, Kramer claims that Baird ‘exerted undue influence upon me to convince me, given my weakened mental state, that her actions were not wrongful.’
Erik Kramer (pictured), who spent 13 years playing professional football, alleges that his wife, Courtney Baird, stole $50,000 from him before their marriage in 2017
The marriage ended 18 months later, but Kramer insists that it should not have happened in the first placed
The marriage ended 18 months later, but Kramer insists that it should not have happened in the first placed.
On August 19, 2015, police were called to Kramer’s Los Angeles home after receiving reports of an attempted suicide with a firearm.
Kramer survived the self-inflicted gunshot wound but suffered life- threatening injuries, including severe brain trauma.
In the weeks leading up to the shooting, Kramer had reportedly been suffering from depression, which may have been caused by head injuries sustained during his playing days, according to TMZ.
However, Kramer insists he was never diagnosed with a concussion while out on the gridiron and does not attribute the suicide attempt to CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy).
Courtney Baird (pictured with Kramer) filed for divorce in June following a suspected domestic violence incident which landed Kramer a night in jail
CTE is a degenerative brain disorder found in athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of repetitive brain trauma.
A possible root cause of the former football player’s heartache was the unexpected death of Kramer’s 18-year-old son, Griffen, who died of a heroin overdose in 2011.
Kramer started 46 games for the Bears from 1994-1998, and also played for the Falcons, Lions and Chargers
At the time of his nuptials, Kramer contends that he still had not recovered from his injury, and therefore lacked the mental capacity to fully appreciate the gravity of the situation.
Baird filed for divorce in June following a suspected domestic violence incident which landed Kramer a night in jail.
Baird later told The Bleacher Report that she fears for her life, telling the publication ‘I am terrified that he is out looking for me at this very moment and will kill me and my daughter.’
Kramer’s estranged wife is asking for half of the couple’s assets and spousal support in the divorce.
If the judge agrees to annul the marriage, however, then Baird will be entitled to nothing.
Kramer started 46 games for the Bears from 1994-1998, and also played for the Falcons, Lions and Chargers, according to TMZ.