Reality TV star Jill Zarin fired back in court at her partner in a pickleball venture, saying in a new lawsuit that he jeopardized the equipment certification business by favoring some professional players and manufacturers over others.
Zarin, an original cast member of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” filed suit Wednesday in Delaware’s Chancery Court against minority owner Noah Springer, who previously sued her and another manager of the venture, Pickle Pro Labs LLC. Springer’s court complaint, filed last month in Florida, said they usurped rights belonging to Pickle Pro in a device for testing the compliance of pickleball paddles with amateur and professional standards.
Delaware’s business tribunal is no stranger to celebrity court fights, among them cases revolving around the WWE, boxing great Mike Tyson, the owners of major sports teams across the globe, and musical legends such as Bob Marley, Jay-Z, Journey, and the Notorious B.I.G. The court has even seen its share of disputes involving reality TV personalities, including a lawsuit filed the same day by retired NBA player Tristan Thompson—an ex of Khloe Kardashian—and several cases involving the Netflix star Julia Haart.
Zarin’s new complaint says it was Springer who damaged the company through his pattern of sharing confidential information “with professional players, paddle manufacturers, and other industry participants outside the channels and authorizations established by PPL.” The legal and commercial risks are magnified within an industry that has seen recent scandals over allegations of unfair enforcement by certifying bodies, according to Wednesday’s filing.
Gabriel Saade, an attorney for Springer, told Bloomberg Law in a statement Thursday that they’ll “vigorously defend against this transparent attempt to divert attention” from his client’s allegations of misconduct by Zarin.
“Ms. Zarin has chosen to file a retaliatory countersuit in a different forum, recasting Mr. Springer’s good-faith participation in the company’s operations as somehow wrongful,” Saade said. “The allegations in her Delaware complaint do not withstand scrutiny.”
Busted partnerships and joint ventures gone sour often find their way to the world’s preeminent corporate court, which is regularly called upon to police the fallout of messy business divorces, battles between rival board factions, and other bad blood.
Recent similar cases include a supermarket family feud, a lawsuit filed against
Zarin is represented by Billion Law and Medina Law Firm. Springer is represented in Florida by DarrowEverett LLP.
The case is Zarin v. Springer, Del. Ch., No. 2026-0685, complaint filed 5/27/26.
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