# Re Navratilova's ex-lover threatening her, if overt blackmail is public is it legal?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-navratilovas-ex-lover-threatening-her-if-overt-blackmail-is-public-is-it-legal/492996>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 13, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-navratilovas-ex-lover-threatening-her-if-overt-blackmail-is-public-is-it-legal/492996 "2009-04-13T22:20:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-navratilovas-ex-lover-threatening-her-if-overt-blackmail-is-public-is-it-legal/492996/1 "2009-04-13T22:20:34Z")

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[Re this Page Six story](http://www.nypost.com/seven/04132009/gossip/pagesix/lesbian_ex_rattles_martina_navratilovas__164200.htm)I can’t see how this threat by her ex-lover is anything other than fairly overt blackmail. Is this actually legal?

> [@](#):
>
> THE longtime lesbian lover of Martina Navratilova is threatening to air the tennis great’s dirty laundry if she doesn’t get a settlement to her liking based on their eight years together.
> 
> “There are a lot of skeletons in Martina’s closet. It is more like a storage facility full of them, and I know them all,” said Toni Layton, who left her computer salesman hubby, Jeffrey Lambert, for the nine-time Wimbledon champ and claims she helped nurture and enrich her career during their time together.

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**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-navratilovas-ex-lover-threatening-her-if-overt-blackmail-is-public-is-it-legal/492996/2 "2009-04-14T02:17:19Z")

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BUMP

I got nuttin’. But I’d like to hear some of the Dope’s legal experts comments.

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**Author:** ![ClintPhoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@ClintPhoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClintPhoenix)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2009, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-navratilovas-ex-lover-threatening-her-if-overt-blackmail-is-public-is-it-legal/492996/3 "2009-04-14T17:27:23Z")

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It just looks like hardball negotiations to me, not anything illegal.

So long as the information is true, and there is not a legal obligation to keep it confidential, why can’t she publish it?

If Martina doesn’t want it published, she can pay her an agreed sum and sign an agreement that Toni will keep the information confidential.

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**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2009, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-navratilovas-ex-lover-threatening-her-if-overt-blackmail-is-public-is-it-legal/492996/4 "2009-04-15T01:54:25Z")

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> [@ClintPhoenix](#):
>
> So long as the information is true, and there is not a legal obligation to keep it confidential, why can’t she publish it?

Though using it as a bargaining chip does look totally low-rent.

AIUI, “extortion” applies only if they’re using threats to coerce or induce you to engage in or go along with something illegal or contrary to duty or to refrain from or omit something that should be done or included. Not if all will happen is that you will be shamed, specially if you’re a public figure. Your one consolation is that your harasser will be seen by public opinion (even as that same public eagerly gobbles up you scandal :rolleyes: ) as a rat and a sleaze for playing that card.