Internet star Logan Paul has dropped his lawsuit against Dallas-based Heritage Auctions — at least for now.
In August, the YouTube personality-turned-wrestler placed the winning bid for a piece of court that Michael Jordan had dribbled across as a Chicago Bulls player. Jordan had also signed the item, for which Paul agreed to pay $562,555.
A month later, Paul raised doubts over the authenticity of the 8-by-8-foot piece, which Heritage described as from the home court of the Bulls between the 1994 and 1998 seasons. Paul said he found discrepancies with how the item was described and accused Heritage of preventing him from evaluating its authenticity, according to a September lawsuit filed in Dallas County.
Paul requested the auction house hold the item for him as he conducted an investigation.
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According to email correspondence attached to the lawsuit, a Heritage director told Paul’s lawyers that if payment was not received by Sept. 25, the sale would be canceled and the item would be returned to its consignor or placed for future auction. The employee cited the company’s terms and conditions.
“Logan is now in the position where he is either forced to pay for an item that may not be what it purports to be, or lose his claim entirely,” his lawyers wrote in the suit.
Heritage Auctions refuted his account.
“The Chicago Bulls court piece is authenticated and warranted as authentic by The Upper Deck company that originally acquired it directly from the Bulls organization, and it also has extensive third-party autograph authentication from Beckett Authentication, as well as photo-matching authentication from [Professional Sports Authenticator],” the company wrote in a September statement to The Athletic.
“Moreover, Heritage made allowances for the buyer to accommodate any in-person inspection and reasonable efforts for additional review.”
The case is now closed, according to court records. Paul’s lawyers asked to dismiss the suit without prejudice, which means he could refile it later. It’s unclear if the parties have reached a settlement or resolution to the dispute.
One of Paul’s attorneys, Benjamin Joelson, could not be reached by phone or email for comment on why the case was dropped and if the transaction has proceeded.
Christina Rees, a spokesperson for Heritage Auctions, said information around the status of the sports memorabilia is “confidential and subject to contract.”
Founded in 1976, Heritage Auctions is headquartered near DFW International Airport and sells rare and famous art and collectibles. Among the items it has put up for sale are Norman Rockwell paintings, Andy Warhol screen prints, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Peace Prize medal and a pair of ruby slippers Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz.