Bryan Johnson, the tech billionaire who has dedicated his life to embracing a variety of radical anti-aging techniques, has been sued by his ex-fiancee. According to Vanity Fair, Taryn Southern, an actor and content creator, has accused Mr Johnson of abandoning her after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. In the lawsuit, she also claims that the entrepreneur persuaded her to give up her career for his ambitious endeavors, leaving her without financial support. Mr. Johnson, 46, has denied the charges.
Ms. Southern began dating Mr. Johnson in 2016 and claimed that he referred to her as “Mrs. Johnson” within weeks, according to People Magazine. They were engaged and living together in California in 2018.
In the lawsuit, she claimed that Mr. Johnson promised to “take care of her, financially and medically, for the rest of her life”.
“Johnson demanded Ms. Southern’s devotion of her time and creative energy to his personal needs and professional aspirations,” the lawsuit further alleged, with Ms. Southern’s attorneys claiming she was “financially dependent” on her former fiance when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer.
Johnson was also accused of asking Taryn to leave his home
According to Vanity Fair, Johnson was also accused of asking the actor to leave his home in October 2019 while she was undergoing chemotherapy.
Southern allegedly had “no independent source of steady income” at the time to pay her mounting medical bills, according to the filing.
By October 2021, her condition had begun to improve, and she attempted to reach an out-of-court settlement. When that failed, Southern filed a lawsuit against Johnson, seeking millions of dollars in damages for a variety of causes of action, including infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract, and loss of earnings.
Meanwhile, the billionaire responded to the lawsuit, calling Southern’s claims “baseless.” He also claimed that she was not owed any compensation and that she continued to have a relationship with him for “several months” after all the alleged events. Mr. Johnson has asked the court to dismiss Ms. Southern’s 2021 lawsuit and to compel her to pay his legal fees.