Former Craftsman Truck Series driver and team owner Jennifer Jo Cobb has to pay more than $850,000 as the result of a lawsuit in North Carolina.
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Cobb, who last competed in the Truck Series in 2024, was named the defendant in an alienation of affection lawsuit filed by Tracey M. Hughes. This case went to trial, and a jury in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, found that Cobb caused alienation in Hughes' marriage with former NASCAR spotter Clayton Hughes.
The jury awarded Hughes $50,000 in recovery funds. The jury also determined that Cobb owed Hughes $800,000 for criminal conversion. According to Hughes' lawyer, this is the legal term for adultery.
Essentially, criminal conversion happens when a third party, the defendant, has sexual intercourse with someone who is legally married. The plaintiff must prove that the intercourse happened when the couple was legally married.
Finally, the jury awarded Hughes $1 in punitive damages for the alienation of affection and $1 in damages for the criminal conversion. This brought the total to $850,002.
"Alienation of affection is any wrongful act that a third party does to diminish the feelings of affection of one spouse for another, and it actually doesn't require sex," said Hughes' attorney, John Vermitsky, per CBS News 2.
According to the lawsuit, the Hughes exchanged vows and became husband and wife on Sept. 4, 2003. They separated on Jan. 20, 2021. The lawsuit alleged that Cobb encouraged Hughes to lie about what he did while on NASCAR trips and that they set up meetings to engage in sexual activity.
The lawsuit also alleged that the conduct included "phone calls of a sexual nature, text messages, and sexual liasons in North Carolina and in other states."
Cobb spent several years as a driver in NASCAR. She spent 17 years (2008-24) primarily competing in the Craftsman Truck Series and 15 years (2004-18) making select starts in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.
Hughes, who has several photos of Cobb on his Instagram page, traveled the NASCAR circuit as a spotter. He worked with multiple drivers, a group that included Michael McDowell and Martin Truex Jr.
