As Aaron Donald weighed a dramatic NFL comeback with the Los Angeles Rams, the decorated defensive star was also dealing with a contentious court fight involving his former girlfriend and her dog.
Details of the lawsuit, published by The California Post on Friday, surfaced just days after Donald announced that he was ending retirement and making a headline-grabbing return to the NFL at age 35.
In court filings submitted in late July, Donald said he wanted Jaelynn Blakey, his ex-partner and the mother of two of his children, to remove her French bulldog from her residence. He claimed the animal posed a safety risk to their kids.
Donald, a Super Bowl winner who is now married to Erica Donald, asked the court to grant him sole physical custody of his 13-year-old daughter, Jaeda, and 10-year-old son, Aaron Jr., until Blakey no longer kept the dog in her home.
According to the documents, Donald alleged the French bulldog bit his daughter on the mouth in September 2023 and later injured Blakey’s niece in a similar incident less than a year afterward. He also claimed the dog bit his son in the face in March 2026, and he included photos that he said showed the children’s injuries.
The 10-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year further claimed Blakey had agreed after each alleged incident to remove the dog, but that his children told him earlier this summer the animal was still living at her house.
Aaron Donald brought legal action against his former girlfriend, citing concerns that her dog could endanger their children
The custody dispute unfolded as Donald was considering a high-profile return to the NFL
‘At some point in time, between March 20, 2026 and June 26, 2026, the dog returned to [Blakey’s] home in Los Angeles,’ his court filing claimed.
It continued: ‘Blakey “did not tell [Donald] the dog had returned to her home. The Minor Children informed [Donald] of the dog’s return, as well as [Blakey’s] instructions to them “not to run [their] mouths” by telling [Donald].”‘
In response to Donald’s allegations, Blakey insisted the pet was not ‘dangerous,’ her children are not afraid of it and she never instructed them to lie to him about the pet being at her home.
Her response claimed Donald ‘is taking away the family pet whom lived with us since 10 weeks old. He does this under the guise of protecting the children and their safety but that is not his true intent as evidenced by the fact that the dog has lived in my home over the past several years, with his knowledge even after 2023 & 2024 and has not had an issue with it.
‘This dog has been my emotional support through hard times, and is loved by my children. This request takes away not only [Donald’s children’s] pet but my youngest daughter’s pet as well. My youngest daughter has lived full time with our dog and it will be devastating to her to lose him.’
However, Donald ultimately got his way as a stipulation and order filed on August 3 revealed Blakey removed the dog from her home. The former couple then agreed to return to co-parenting their children as they were before the legal fight started.
Donald and Blakey never married and split around the time that he moved to Los Angeles with the Rams from St. Louis in 2016. He then married wife Erica and they also share two children.
Donald returned to the Rams on Sunday, ending his retirement after two-and-a-half years to chase another Super Bowl title. Erica wrote on X: ‘I let him out the house y’all,’ with laughing, blue heart and heart hands emojis.
He made his decision after several weeks of discussion and nearly three months of intensive workouts for a star defensive lineman who reigned atop his position in a Rams uniform from 2014 until his retirement in early 2024.
Donald and Blakey split around the time that he moved to Los Angeles with the Rams in 2016
Donald then married wife Erica and they also share two children
Donald joined a light practice at the Rams’ training complex later Sunday, shaking hands and exchanging hugs with Myles Garrett and the rest of his teammates, both old and new.
He agreed to a one-year contract, and ESPN reported he will make at least $20 million in an incentive-laden deal.
Donald became one of the greatest defensive players of his era during a decade spent entirely with the Rams in St. Louis and Los Angeles. He won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards while earning 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl ring before he retired somewhat abruptly following the 2023-24 season.
After two years of tending to his business interests and enjoying ample family time, Donald began to entertain the notion of a comeback this summer after the Rams traded young lineman Jared Verse in a deal for Garrett, one of Donald´s few peers in contemporary defensive line play.
His first game of the season could be on Thursday night when the Rams face the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne.
Rams coach Sean McVay insisted the entire roster travel to Australia for their regular-season opener next week but admitted he still isn’t sure whether Donald will play.
‘I don’t have that sense quite yet,’ McVay said. ‘I think (the ramp-up process) has been really good. He’s so intentional about his rhythm and routine.
‘This week will be a big week for him in terms of how he feels, and then we’ll take it a day at a time and see where he´s at.
‘If he feels good enough to go, great. If not, I have a lot of confidence in the other guys that’ll be ready to step up if that’s the case, that have really gotten all the reps anyway.’
