In emotional testimony during the wrongful death civil lawsuit against the Los Angeles Angels, Debbie Hetman, mother of late pitcher Tyler Skaggs, stated that the team never inquired about her son’s drug addiction, which she would have disclosed if asked. The Angels have maintained they were unaware of Skaggs’ struggles, a key point in the trial that entered its sixth week.
Debbie Hetman testified on Monday that she did not know whether her son informed the Angels about his addiction to Percocet, which began after the 2013 season when he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks. She emphasized that the organization never asked her any questions about him, and if they had, she would have revealed his condition. Hetman described how Skaggs came to her and his stepfather seeking help, leading to consultations with doctors and a psychiatrist specializing in addiction. She believed he was on the right track after this intervention, noting he looked more like himself compared to the “very sullen and lost” person she saw previously.
Following the 2013 admission, Hetman insisted on drug tests as part of Skaggs’ medical plan, which continued into the following summer after he was traded to the Angels. She also communicated with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Skaggs’ Tommy John surgery in 2014, about avoiding Percocet and prescribing alternative painkillers. Additionally, Hetman informed Skaggs’ agents and briefly discussed the issue with his then-girlfriend, Carli, though Carli did not pursue further details at the time. This proactive approach by his family contrasts with the Angels’ claimed lack of awareness.
The Angels’ defense argues that the team is not responsible for Skaggs’ death, attributing it to his reckless decisions in mixing alcohol and opioids. Skaggs died from an accidental fentanyl overdose in a Texas hotel room in 2019, and the defense has built its case around the idea that the franchise could not have prevented the tragedy without knowledge of his addiction. This position is central to the wrongful death lawsuit, which seeks to hold the organization accountable for alleged negligence.
Carli Skaggs, Skaggs’ widow and the lead plaintiff, also testified emotionally on Monday, denying any knowledge of her husband’s drug problems prior to his death. She stated that the only substances she knew him to use were marijuana and ecstasy once on their honeymoon. Under cross-examination, she affirmed that she did not believe her husband needed drug rehabilitation and described it as out of character for him to seek drugs from former Angels employee Eric Kay after Kay left rehab in 2019.
The criminal background of the case involves Eric Kay, who was convicted in federal court in 2022 of providing Skaggs with the pill that caused his death and is serving a 22-year prison sentence. Multiple players testified during Kay’s trial that he supplied them with pills, highlighting broader issues within the organization. This context adds weight to the civil trial, as it questions the Angels’ internal controls and duty of care toward players.
The ongoing trial has taken a significant personal toll on Skaggs’ family, with Carli describing how it has consumed her life over the past six years. She shared tearful accounts of learning about her husband’s death, seeing him in the coroner’s office, and the lasting impact on her ability to form new relationships or envision a future with children. The case continues to unfold, with potential implications for how sports teams address player health, addiction, and organizational responsibility in the future.
