Widow of R&B singer Sean Levert wins $4M lawsuit settlement over his death in Ohio jail

Singer’s widow settles for $4M in Ohio jail death

CLEVELAND — The widow of R&B singer Sean Levert has won a $4 million settlement of a lawsuit over his 2008 death in an Ohio jail.

The agreement with Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH’-guh) County and a jail medical services contractor was reached late Wednesday in Cleveland federal court. It includes no official admission of liability.

The 39-year-old Levert was jailed on March 24, 2008, after being sentenced for owing nearly $90,000 in child support. He died six days later and had been denied his prescribed anti-anxiety medication Xanax (ZAN’-ehks) while he was held.

The coroner said Xanax withdrawal contributed to Levert’s death.

The singer was a member of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and the son of O’Jays lead vocalist Eddie Levert.