UPDATE: The ex-wife of former Los Angeles Angels communications employee Eric Kay testified on Monday that the organization was aware of his drug abuse long before he provided the drugs that led to the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs in 2019. Camela Kay’s testimony in the ongoing wrongful death civil suit revealed alarming details about drug distribution among team members, including instances of non-prescription pills being passed around on team flights.
This shocking revelation adds a critical dimension to the lawsuit, where the Skaggs family is seeking $118 million in damages, claiming the Angels violated their own intervention policies regarding substance abuse. Camela Kay described witnessing pills being handed out on an Angels’ plane, stating, “I had seen them passing out pills and drinking alcohol excessively.”
The testimony contradicts previous statements from Angels officials, including former communications director Tim Mead and traveling secretary Tom Taylor, who claimed they were unaware of Kay’s drug use until after Skaggs’ tragic overdose in a Texas hotel room. Camela Kay maintained that she had expressed her concerns about Eric’s substance abuse to both Mead and Taylor.
In a dramatic moment during her testimony, she recounted an incident on October 1, 2017, when Mead visited their home after an attempted intervention. She testified that Mead emerged from Kay’s bedroom holding “six or seven” baggies containing pills, which he claimed Kay had directed him to find. “I was shocked,” she recalled, questioning where he obtained them.
Eric Kay was convicted in 2022 of giving a fentanyl-laced pill to Skaggs, for which he is serving a 22-year federal prison sentence. The Skaggs family argues that allowing Kay, who had his own issues with addiction, to interact with Tyler created a “disastrous” situation.
As the trial unfolds, the defense maintains that the Angels are not responsible for Skaggs’ death, asserting that he had a history of drug use prior to joining the team. Angels attorney Todd Theodora stated, “It was Skaggs who decided to obtain the illicit pills and take the illicit drugs along with the alcohol the night he died.”
Camela Kay testified that her concerns about Eric’s substance abuse persisted, even after he was sent to outpatient therapy post-intervention. She provided text messages to support her claims that she sought help for her ex-husband from Angels benefits manager Cecilia Schneider.
The trial continues to draw attention, with Camela Kay’s testimony expected to resume this afternoon, followed by cross-examination from the defense. The implications of this case are profound, raising questions about the responsibilities of sports organizations in safeguarding their players’ health and well-being.
Stay tuned for more updates as this urgent case develops.
