(OCRegister): “Tyler Skaggs’ widow testifies that she wasn’t aware of his illicit drug use, but now understands why he did it”

3 comments

1. “During her earlier testimony in the plaintiff phase of the civil wrongful death trial, Carli denied knowing that he had a drug problem prior to his 2019 death in a Texas hotel room. She has testified to learning at one point that Skaggs had issues with Percocet while playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013, prior to their relationship beginning. But Carli has continually testified that she was unaware that her husband was using opioids while playing for the Angels.

   Attorneys for the Angels, armed with numerous text messages from Skaggs that included drug references, challenged Carli about her claims to have been unaware of her husband’s ongoing opioid use.

   “I have a drug test today” Tyler texted Carli in December 2014. “You do? (expletive). Why?” Carli texted back, adding “You’re straight right?” In her testimony, Carli said she was worried that her husband was going to test positive for marijuana. In the text exchange, Tyler later wrote “lol they only test for steroids.”

   At one point, Tyler appeared to reference a family history of substance abuse-related deaths. In another text exchange in December 2014, Carli wrote to Tyler that someone she knew had been found dead after “relapsing.” Tyler asked if that person had passed out and choked on their own vomit, adding “I have 2 family members die like that.”

   “This exchange took place just four months after you learned Tyler had a Percocet issue?” Angels attorney Stephen Ladsous asked.

   “I guess so,” Carli replied.

   “Did you ask Tyler if he ever passed out from taking pills?” The attorney asked.

   “No.”

   In July 2015, Tyler texted Carli “I’m a drug addict lol.” Carli — who explained she believed Tyler was joking — responded by writing “Babe ok.”

   “As in ‘Yeah right,’” Carli added during her testimony.

   “Getting drug tested again,” Tyler texted Carli in August 2017, leading her to respond “omg why haha.” At the same time he was texting Carli, Tyler was also messaging teammate Matt Shoemaker “Whattup shoe anyway I can get one of those pain pills from you so I can take it during the game haha.” Shoemaker wrote back “No problem man.”

   “Was it ok, in your mind, Tyler’s practice of asking teammates for non-prescribed pain medication as long as he was feeling pain?” Ladsous asked.

   “I mean, best practice would be to go to the doctor and get his own prescription,” Carli responded.

2. She knew he had issues with pills before but thought he was joking about being a drug addict? I’ve had friends and family that struggled with pills. If any of them texted me that they were a drug addict, the last thing I’d do is think they were joking.

3. I’m rapidly hitting a point where I think everyone involved here kinda sucks in some capacity, and there should be no financial damages.

   Kay should have been fired long ago, and everyone Arte put in charge of the day to day went to great lengths trying to protect Kay for some weird reason. But I think that even without Kay, Tyler would have found his fix since it seems like Skaggs was coming to Kay (and directing others to Kay) more than Kay was actively dealing on his own.

   Tyler’s own family shoved their heads in the sand regarding his addiction and acted like this was never an issue or they had no idea it was happening.

   Tyler was engaged in dangerous behavior due to a horrible disease, and refused to seek help. Even if Kay had been fired, he probably would have found his fix somewhere else. Hopefully he’d still be alive, but he was playing a dangerous game with street grade pain killers while also mixing alcohol.