When you think of Karl "The Mailman" Malone, you probably picture the Stockton-to-Malone pick-and-roll. You think of the 36,928 career points, the back-to-back MVPs, and the sheer physical dominance that defined the Utah Jazz for nearly two decades. But for years, a different story bubbled under the surface—one involving a 13-year-old girl named Gloria Bell and a paternity case that would eventually challenge the legacy of one of basketball’s greatest icons.
Honestly, the details are jarring. In 1983, Malone was a 20-year-old star sophomore at Louisiana Tech University. Gloria Bell was a middle schooler in Summerfield, Louisiana. By the time Malone was preparing for his jump to the NBA, Gloria was pregnant.
The Reality of the Summerfield Incident
Summerfield is a tiny place. We're talking about a population of just a few hundred people. Everyone knows everyone. In a town that small, a college athlete like Malone was a local hero. When Gloria Bell became pregnant at 13, it wasn't just a private family matter; it was a community-altering event.
There’s a lot of talk about why charges weren't filed. According to court records and subsequent interviews, Gloria’s family made a pragmatic, if heartbreaking, decision. They believed that if Malone went to prison for statutory rape—which was the legal reality of the situation given the age of consent in Louisiana at the time was 17—he would never be able to provide for the child. They chose to protect his future earning potential in hopes of securing their own child’s future.
It's a heavy thought. A family weighing justice against survival.
The child, Demetress Bell, was born in 1984. While Malone was becoming a household name in Salt Lake City, Demetress was growing up in the same small Louisiana town where his father had been a star, but without the father himself.
The Legal Battle and the "Twin Brother" Defense
For years, Malone stayed silent. He didn't just avoid the topic; he actively fought it in court. By 1986, Gloria’s grandparents filed a lawsuit seeking child support. They weren't asking for the world—just about $200 a week. At the time, Malone was making roughly $225,000 a year with the Jazz.
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He refused to pay.
The case dragged on. It wasn't until a 1996 paternity test—ordered by the court—that the truth became scientifically undeniable. The results showed a 99.3% probability that Malone was the father.
Here is where it gets weird. Malone’s legal team actually suggested that because Malone "had a lot of brothers," the test wasn't definitive. It was a strategy designed to create just enough doubt to avoid a formal court determination of paternity. Eventually, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement. It was a lump sum. No ongoing child support. No public apology. Just a legal "check the box" and move on.
The Estrangement of Demetress Bell
Demetress Bell didn't let the lack of a father stop him. He was an incredible athlete in his own right, eventually making it to the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles.
But the personal side was rough. When Demetress was 17, he finally made contact with Malone. The response he got wasn't exactly a Hallmark moment. Malone reportedly told the teenager that it was "too late" to be his father and that Demetress would have to make it on his own.
Imagine that for a second. You’re a kid who has watched your biological father become a global superstar, and when you finally reach out, he tells you the window for a relationship has closed.
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It stayed that way for a long time. Demetress even used to tell people he didn't know who his father was, even though the whole town—and eventually the whole sports world—knew the truth.
A Shift in the Narrative: The 2014 Reconciliation
If this story ended there, it would be one of the grimmest chapters in sports history. But people change, or at least they try to. Around 2014, something shifted. Malone, who had largely ignored his older children (including twins Daryl and Cheryl Ford from another paternity case), began to reach out.
It started with a hunting trip. For a man like Malone, who loves the outdoors, it was the only way he knew how to bridge a gap that wide.
By 2018, the relationship had done a total 180. Demetress told reporters that he and Malone were talking or texting almost every day. Malone himself admitted to the Salt Lake Tribune that he "didn't handle it right" and that he was wrong. He called "Father Time" the biggest thief of all.
Why This Story Still Matters in 2026
You might wonder why we’re still talking about something that happened in the 80s. It’s because the conversation around athlete accountability has shifted. In the 80s and 90s, the "The Mailman" persona was protected by a media landscape that prioritized on-court performance over off-court character.
Today, we look at the Gloria Bell situation through a much sharper lens. We talk about power dynamics, age of consent, and the responsibilities of those in positions of influence.
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Key Facts to Remember:
- Ages at Conception: Karl Malone was 20; Gloria Bell was 13.
- Legal Status: Under Louisiana law at the time, this was statutory rape, though no criminal charges were ever filed.
- Paternity: Confirmed via court-ordered DNA testing in 1996.
- The Son: Demetress Bell became a successful NFL player despite the lack of support from his father during his upbringing.
- Current Status: Malone and Demetress Bell have reconciled and reportedly maintain a close relationship today.
Moving Forward: Lessons in Legacy
The story of Karl Malone and Gloria Bell is a reminder that legacies are complicated. You can be a Hall of Fame athlete and still have a past that is deeply troubling.
For those looking to understand the nuance of this case, the best approach is to look at the primary sources—the court documents from the 1980s and 1990s and the direct interviews given by Demetress Bell later in his life. These provide a much clearer picture than the filtered highlights often seen on TV.
If you’re researching the history of the NBA's most controversial figures, use this case as a study in how public perception evolves over time. It’s a call to look past the stats and understand the human impact of an athlete's choices.
To get a full grasp of how this impacted the NBA at the time, you should research the 1990s media coverage of Malone, which largely ignored these legal battles, and compare it to the "Me Too" era retrospectives that brought the Gloria Bell story back into the public consciousness.
Next Steps for Research:
- Review the 1998 Salt Lake Tribune investigative report titled "Spirit vs. Letter of Law in Malone Paternity Suits."
- Examine the 2008 NFL draft profiles of Demetress Bell to see how his lineage was handled by professional scouts.
- Compare the career trajectories of Malone's children, including WNBA star Cheryl Ford, who also faced a similar journey of estrangement and eventual reconciliation.