Mary G. Jolley, Circuit Judge for Volusia County in Florida issued a ruling on 4/3 that WWE Hall of Famer Tammy “Sunny” Sytch must pay $5 million to the estate of Julian Lasseter, who perished in the March 2022 traffic incident that landed Sytch in prison through 2039.

The ruling notes:

Pursuant to the Confidential Settlement Agreement reached by the parties, and through their counsel, IT IS ORDERED and ADJUDGED that Plaintiff, WHITNEY L. HILL, as Personal Representative of the Estate of JULIAN L. LASSETER, deceased, [ADDRESS DELETED]2, shall recover from Defendant, TAMARA L. SYTCH, [ADDRESS DELETED], the sum of FIVE MILLION DOLLARS and no/100 ($5,000,000.00), that shall bear interest at the rate of 9.38% from the date of this Final Consent Judgment, subject to adjustment pursuant to section 55.03, Florida Statutes, for which let execution issue.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED AND ADJUSTED that Defendant, TAMARA L. SYTCH (the “judgment debtor”) shall complete under oath Florida Rule of Civil Procedure Form 1.977 (Fact Information Sheet), including all required attachments, and serve it on the judgment creditor’s attorney, Alexandria G. Avera, Esq., [ADDRESS DELETED], 04/03/2025 03:07:01 PM Clerk of the Circuit Court, Volusia County, Florida within 45 days from the date of this Final Judgment, unless the Final Consent Judgment is satisfied or post judgment discovery is stayed.

Jurisdiction of this case is retained to enter further orders that are proper to compel the judgment debtor to complete form 1.977, including all required attachments, and serve it on the judgment creditor’s attorney.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at Daytona Beach, Volusia County, Florida this 03 day of April, 2025.

MARY G. JOLLEY

CIRCUIT JUDGE

With that ruling, the civil case against Sytch was officially closed.

The settlement between the parties was reached in February 2025. The lawsuit was seeking in “excess” of $30,000 in damages, alleging:

“Upon information and belief, on or about March 25, 2022, Defendant SYTCH was intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle southbound on N. Yonge Street, at or near the intersection of W. Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Florida. Defendant SYTCH operated the motor vehicle. On or about March 25, 2022, Julian L. Lasseter was also operating a motor vehicle southbound on N. Yonge Street, at or near the intersection of W. Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Florida. At the time and place referenced in paragraphs 6 and 8 above, Defendant SYTCH negligently operated or maintained her motor vehicle so that it collided with the rear end of Julian L. Lasseter’s motor vehicle, causing severe and incapacitating injuries to Mr. Lasseter. These injuries resulted in his death on March 25, 2022.” The lawsuit alleged negligence on the part of Sytch, that the Lasseter family had sustained medical and funeral expenses due to Sytch’s actions and that Lasseter’s adult daughter had “has suffered, and will suffer into the future, the loss of her father’s companionship, instruction, guidance, and mental pain and suffering as a result of her father’s death.”

Sytch apologized to the Lasseter family for Julian Lasseter’s death at her criminal sentencing, going as far as to say she wishes she could trade places with him. In a later interview with TMZ.com, Sytch referred to the incident as a “terrible accident.”

Sytch was sentenced to prison in November 2023 to driving under the influence manslaughter and other charges. She plead no contest and asked for forgiveness before the court at her sentencing. Sytch had an unsealed bottle of vodka in her vehicle and cannabis in her system when she was arrested following the March 2022 fatal DUI crash, which resulted in the death of Julian Lasseter. Sytch did not possess a legal driver’s license at the time of the crash and had been arrested multiple times in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey in previous auto-related incidents.

Sytch was convicted of one count of DUI causing death (DUI Manslaughter, a felony in the third degree), one count of causing death while operating a vehicle with a suspended or revoked driver’s license (a felony in the third degree), four counts of DUI causing injury to a person, and three counts of DUI causing damage to property, was officially pushed back to March 2025 after a hearing this past week before The Circuit Court of the Sevenths Judicial Circuit in and for Volusia County, Florida. She is currently slated to be released from The Florida Department of Corrections on 11/2/39. She was transferred from Volusia County Corrections to a prison facility in Ocala, Florida after being sentenced to 17 years plus another 8 years of probation on 11/28/23. Sytch’s attempts to have her sentence changed so she could serve both convictions concurrently at the same time have been denied by the court.

Despite her conviction, Sytch remains a member of the WWE Hall of Fame. While Hulk Hogan and the late Jimmy Snuka had been suspended from the WWE Hall of Fame in the past, to date, no one has ever been removed. Sytch was the first WWE Hall of Famer to be convicted of a felony after being inducted into the Hall.