Money issues tear at Ryan Howard and his family

Before Ryan Howard's twin brother sued him for $2.8 million; before his father, who helped manage the Phillies slugger's money, allegedly requested a $10 million separation payment; before Howard claimed his parents and brothers conspired to defraud him, Howard planned a mansion with eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

The sprawling Florida home was a place for the family - especially Corey, Ryan's look-alike confidant who moved from St. Louis to Philadelphia in 2008 to live with Ryan. But beneath it all, Ryan harbored distrust in his family's dealings while Corey claimed a breach of their consulting contract. It fractured the Howards.

"Ryan loved Corey and believed Corey loved him," one court document said. "The relationship between them was one of trust and confidence."

Corey's lawsuit and Ryan's countersuit, both filed in a Missouri federal court, were dismissed Oct. 22. Thomas Wack, Howard's lawyer, said Ryan and his family settled out of court last month.

"I really can't discuss it at all," Wack said Wednesday.

The revelations, first reported by Fox29 and the Philadelphia Daily News, provide further context to what was Ryan Howard's most challenging season. Howard, who turned 35 on Wednesday, led the majors in strikeouts. His power output dwindled. He was benched in late July and encountered constant queries about his future as the Phillies' front office considered avenues to jettison their first baseman.

It is possible Howard has played his last game with the Phillies; the team will assume a large portion of the $60 million he is owed to facilitate a trade. For now, Howard remains in limbo as the gravity of his personal disputes are made public.

He declined to comment Wednesday through his agent.

Corey, in his lawsuit filed Dec. 18, 2013, said he performed Ryan's personal services for three years without a written contract. Ryan formed RJH Enterprises after the 2006 season, and he installed his immediate family as officers. Ron Howard, his father, was business manager. Cheryl, his mother, was chief financial officer. Chris, another brother, was general counsel. Corey became Ryan's personal assistant.

The brothers decided in late 2011 to procure long-term commitments from Ryan to handle his business affairs, according to court documents. Ryan agreed "on or around" Jan. 3, 2012.

"Trusting Corey as he always had, Ryan signed those documents without carefully reviewing them," Ryan's countersuit said. Ryan claimed he was not provided a copy of his consulting agreement with Corey, and he contended the contract submitted to the court differed from the one later in Ryan's possession.

Corey's contract ran through 2026. His compensation was $92 per hour. He was paid $7,975 every two weeks until July 30, 2012, when Ryan's attorney e-mailed Corey a termination agreement. Corey said he "fully performed his obligations," while Ryan maintained, "Corey performed minimal household chores and accompanied Ryan on appearances." Ryan's countersuit claimed the agreement did not entitle Corey to automatic payments through 2026. Corey said the contract was terminated without cause.

As early as 2011, Ryan grew suspicious about his family's management of his finances. Cheryl, as CFO, authorized payments totaling $2,795,337.38 to five family members including herself, according to court documents. Ryan did not know the amount of those payments until he assumed control of RJH Enterprises' financials in July 2012.

When Ryan, who believed his family was "attempting to enrich themselves at his expense," sought control, Ron asked for a $5 million payment and another $5 million for Cheryl. When reached by phone Wednesday at their home in St. Louis, Cheryl declined to answer questions.

"Ron Howard is the family patriarch," Ryan's countersuit said. "When he gave orders, directions or suggestions to family members, they were not to be questioned. It was considered wrong to disagree with him."

Ryan, whose wife, Krystle, gave birth to the couple's first child last week, contributed more than $8 million to RJH Enterprises and signed documents "without carefully reviewing them" because he believed his family acted in his best interests, according to court documents. Howard has a 13-year-old son from another relationship. He has earned $130 million in 11 major-league seasons.

The Phillies did not wish to comment on Howard's personal matters.

Ryan's countersuit detailed gifts made to his family, including a 2007 BMW to Cheryl, a 2007 Aston Martin to Ron, and a 2011 Mercedes GL550 truck to both of his parents. Corey, Ryan said, lived with him on a rent-free basis.

"Corey consistently performed his job duties as prescribed by the contract," Corey's lawsuit said. "As part of those duties, they had meetings to discuss potential 'life after baseball' business opportunities for Ryan."

Corey "made no serious efforts" to procure marketing agreements, Ryan's countersuit said.

"In fact," it said, "he performed no significant services."