The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been going through a rough patch even though his team has been on a 6-1 heater. Things took an uglier turn in Week 7 as the Vikings tasted a loss for the first time this season, falling to Detroit. For Jefferson, the defeat stings even more after a Detroit fan chose to sprinkle salt on an old wound involving Jefferson’s daughter.

“Take care of your daughter!” a Detroit fan kept shouting from the stands as Jefferson was walking close to the sideline. “You don’t know your daughter.”

“You don’t know me,” Jefferson replied aggressively during a verbal exchange that continued for some time. “Shut the f*** up!”

In his personal life, Jefferson has gone through a tough chapter. According to the Daily Mail’s report in February 2024, Jefferson was accused of fathering a child while encouraging the woman involved to terminate her pregnancy.

Andrea Galea filed a lawsuit in Essex County, New Jersey, family court, alleging that Jefferson had failed to support their daughter, Stella Anastasia, who was born on December 21, 2023. The complaint, filed on January 19, stated that Galea and Jefferson were romantically involved during their time at LSU before reconnecting in April 2023.

“The Defendant blocked the Plaintiff from communicating with him, and coldly told her to ‘[T]alk to me when the legal stuff come up,” Galea’s lawsuit stated, per the Daily Mail.

The family dispute started after Jefferson allegedly refused to financially support her while also declining to acknowledge himself as the father of the child.

In his countersuit, Jefferson sought an injunction restricting Galea from disclosing information concerning the child. He also requested a paternity test. A New Jersey family court ruled in June 2024 that the Vikings star is the biological father of the baby girl.

In the professional world, before facing off against the Lions, Jefferson has had the worst start in his seven-year career.

His production has dipped considerably through the opening seven weeks, with his 60.4 receiving yards per game marking a 32% decrease from his previous lowest average of 88 yards in 2025. He has also hauled in just 23 passes, his fewest through Week 7 in any season of his career.

The Lions’ face-off did not help much to get rid of that narrative as he came up with five receptions on nine targets for 33 yards and a touchdown. It was one of his quietest receiving days of the season. It led to the fans of the opponent ramping up their hate calls.

The legal dispute is what led the fans to throw a jab at Jefferson, who was already struggling on the gridiron against the Lions.

Jefferson’s biggest contribution came in the second quarter, when he caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Murray. However, he struggled to make his presence felt beyond that play.