Ex-Wife of Former Los Angeles Angels Employee Testifies in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
The ex-wife of a former Los Angeles Angels employee at the center of the overdose death of one of the team’s star pitchers will face more cross-examination after testifying she saw players and clubhouse attendants passing pills and alcohol while partying on the team plane.
Camela Kay told jurors in a Southern California courtroom on Monday she had traveled on the Angels team plane with her then-husband Eric Kay, who was convicted of providing drugs that led to the 2019 death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. She said she had seen players partying, playing card games, gambling, and drinking.
“They’re treated like kings,” Camela Kay said of her observations on the plane. “I had seen them passing out pills or drinking alcohol excessively.”
The Trial and Lawsuit
The testimony came in a trial for a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ family contending the Angels should be held responsible for letting Eric Kay, then the team’s communications director, stay on the job and access players while he was addicted to and dealing drugs. The Angels have said team officials did not know Skaggs was taking drugs and that any drug activity involving him and Eric Kay happened on their own time and in the privacy of the player’s hotel room.
Camela Kay testified she told an Angels employee that her then-husband may have been intending to sell drugs to Skaggs on at least one occasion. That was based on information Eric Kay told his sister during a hospital stay for a drug overdose, she said. Camela Kay said the sister then told her, and she told an Angels employee.
Concerns About Eric Kay’s Behavior
Camela Kay said she was concerned that her then-husband had a drug problem after observing his erratic behavior, and family members mounted an intervention with him in 2017. The next day, she said, two team officials came over to speak with him and one of them pulled a series of plastic baggies containing white pills from the bedroom, which fueled her concerns that Eric Kay was not only struggling with substance abuse but selling drugs to make money.
“Him being in the clubhouse with the players, my guess would be he is supplying to them,” she said.
Incidents Involving Eric Kay
Camela Kay also described how her then-husband was driven home by an Angels employee after he was dancing in his office, shirtless, at the stadium in 2019. After he got home, she found a bottle with blue pills inside and called police to press him to go to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed an overdose involving six different drugs, she said.
He was hospitalized for three days and then went to rehab, which was communicated in text messages between Camela Kay and team officials shown to jurors.
Skaggs’ Death and Aftermath
The trial comes more than six years after Skaggs, then 27, was found dead in the suburban Dallas hotel room where he was staying as the Angels were supposed to open a four-game series against the Texas Rangers. A coroner’s report said Skaggs choked to death on his vomit and a toxic mix of alcohol, fentanyl, and oxycodone was found in his system.
Eric Kay was convicted in 2022 of providing Skaggs with a counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and sentenced to 22 years in prison. His federal criminal trial in Texas included testimony from five MLB players who said they received oxycodone from him at various times from 2017 to 2019, the years he was accused of obtaining pills and giving them to Angels players.
Skaggs’ Career and Legacy
Skaggs had been a regular in the Angels’ starting rotation since late 2016 and struggled with injuries repeatedly during that time. He previously played for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Skaggs’ family is seeking $118 million in lost earnings, compensation for pain and suffering, and punitive damages against the team.
MLB Response to Skaggs’ Death
After Skaggs’ death, the MLB reached a deal with the players association to start testing for opioids and to refer those who test positive to the treatment board.
Prescott said the Dodgers’ two-way superstar doesn’t really have any peers in the sporting world.
Shohei Ohtani also made history, hitting four extra base hits and reaching base nine times on the night.
While the Dodgers may be the favorite, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays have an entire country behind them.
Conclusion
The trial of the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ family against the Los Angeles Angels continues, with Camela Kay’s testimony shedding light on the team’s alleged knowledge of Eric Kay’s drug activities. The case has sparked a wider conversation about the use of opioids in professional sports and the need for teams to take responsibility for the well-being of their players.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the lawsuit about?
A: The lawsuit is a wrongful death claim filed by the family of Tyler Skaggs against the Los Angeles Angels, alleging that the team is responsible for his death due to their
