Michael Jordan Paternity Suit: NBA Hall of Famer's Case Withdrawn by Pamela Smith

By Jared Feldschreiber | Mar 18, 2013 05:14 PM EDT

Attorney Randall Kessler, representing Pamela Smith, who accused the NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan fathered her teenage son has withdrawn her paternity suit.

The "withdrawn" clause still leaves open the possibility that the case could be refiled, according to the Associated Press. Kessler reiterated on Monday that Smith "stands by the facts alleged in her original filing."

Smith last month filed the suit against Jordan herself and asked Jordan to take a paternity test and pay child support. Jordan adamantly denies the charge; while his legal team indicated Smith's divorce filings established her ex-husband as the father.

Jordan's spokeswoman Estee Portnoy confirmed Smith dismissed the paternity suit on Monday. Portnoy said there was no settlement or money paid to Smith. She said the lawsuit had no merit. 

Kessler previously said Smith's ex-husband hadn't paid child support or been involved in the teen's life.

"Pamela had no choice but to support her son and his desire to forge a relationship with his father," Smith's publicist, April Love, said in February. "That's why she is now speaking out and prompting Michael to do the right thing."

Love said Smith, 48, and Jordan met in Chicago in the late 1980s at the peak of Jordan's prime. According to court documents, Jordan remains one of the most recognized sports figures in the world nearly 10 years after his retirement from the NBA. A 14-time NBA all-star, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls,

Ten days ago, Jordan applied for a marriage license at the Palm Beach County courthouse in Florida. Jordan got engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto, in December 2011.

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