In a striking twist within a high-profile New Jersey divorce saga, the billionaire’s romantic partner has emerged as the fencing coach of his son and has a history of legal battles with his wife. Court documents reveal that the coach once filed a defamation lawsuit against the wife, asserting that she was unjustly blamed for the dissolution of the marriage.
These latest developments add another layer of drama to what is shaping up to be a monumental case. The divorce could result in the largest settlement in New Jersey’s history, potentially amounting to $6.2 billion, ranking it among the costliest divorce settlements ever recorded in the United States.
The lawsuit filed in 2024 by Lauren Phillips, a 40-year-old acclaimed former fencer from Rutgers University, details claims against Laura Overdeck. Phillips alleges that Laura, the estranged wife of hedge-fund mogul John Overdeck, accused her publicly of being John’s “lover” and cited her as the catalyst for their marriage’s breakdown.
Exclusively obtained documents reveal that the lawsuit further accuses Laura Overdeck, who is 56 and has three children with her estranged husband, of labeling Phillips as a “criminal” who purportedly “threatens people with real knives” in a message sent to John.
The lawsuit, lodged by Phillips on Christmas Eve, contends that these damaging accusations were recounted repeatedly throughout the year to her other clients, friends, and business contacts. Phillips, who runs her own fencing gym in Millburn, describes the impact these statements have had on her professional and personal relationships.
“The narrative painted by Defendant served additional purposes, namely, to smear Ms. Phillips and avoid potential media embarrassment resulting from Defendant’s high-profile divorce,” the suit said.
The lawsuit claimed the chatty Laura had “affected and will continue to affect” Phillips’ reputation — and, by proxy, her prestigious fencing school — causing “a loss of good will and confidence in the community.”
A judge tossed the Essex County Superior Court suit months later when Phillips failed to follow up with the legal process.
A rep for Phillips declined to comment. Neither of the Overdecks responded to requests for comment from The Post.
One of Overdeck’s three kids took fencing lessons for five years at Phillips’ academy, the suit claimed.
It added that her 24-year career as an instructor has sent some of her students getting top fencing scholarships and even competing at the Olympics.
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Some of what Phillips alleged in her lawsuit was referred to in body-camera footage taken nearly a year earlier outside of the Overdeck family’s mansion.
An unidentified woman is featured prominently in the footage, both speaking to cops during the house call and as a the subject of what the Overdecks each separately tell police.
Several claims made by Laura Overdeck at the time match perfectly with Phillips’ lawsuit.
“Frankly, it’s not even that complicated. He’s got a psycho girlfriend, and he’s got to get out,” Laura says in the footage referring to the woman, who she also accused of allegedly holding her own family “at knife point.”
The footage also depicts John admitting to being in a “dating” relationship with the woman, but claimed the two never had sex or ever took their clothes off.
“We are having a dating relationship, but we’ve never had sex,” he told one of the officers.
The Overdecks are currently duking it out in Newark family court, with Laura Overdeck arguing for a $6.2 billion cut of her estranged hubby’s share in his massive hedge fund, Two Sigma.
If she wins, it could turn out to be the third-largest divorce in US history, landing the Overdecks just behind Bill and Melinda Gates and Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott on the list of massive matrimonial payouts.
Laura Overdeck reportedly rejected a $633 million settlement offer earlier this month, and is so far holding firm that the growth in Two Sigma since their marriage 20 years ago should be considered a marital asset.
On Wednesday, John Overdeck said in court that the offer was “fair and equitable.”
“I also think it’s ample to support her,” he testified.
— Additional reporting by Reuven Fenton