A federal judge has officially dismissed a wild lawsuit filed against Kellie Pickler, calling it “nonsensical and delusional” and finding that it “fails to plausibly allege a violation of law.”
The suit was brought by Nigel Max Edge, a North Carolina man who is now facing multiple charges in connection to a September mass shooting that left three people dead.
But before his arrest, Edge made headlines for something very different: he accused Pickler of trying to poison him during a date to the CMT Music Awards — more than a decade ago.
From Awards Show Date to Courtroom
Edge — a Marine Corps veteran who previously went by the name Sean William Debevoise — attended the 2012 CMT Awards as Pickler’s date after the pair met at a charity event in North Carolina.
At the time, he called the country singer “an angel” and “the most sincere person I know.”
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But in a federal lawsuit filed earlier this year, Edge claimed Pickler handed him a poisoned glass of Jim Beam at the awards. He says he didn’t drink it — and included a photo to support his case. (The bottle shown was Jack Daniel’s.)
A Laundry List of Conspiracies
In addition to the poisoning claim, Edge accused Pickler and her late husband, Kyle Jacobs, of being involved in a larger conspiracy.
Among the more outlandish allegations:
- That their names contained “LGBT code.”
- That Pickler poisoned his service dog.
- Another man in a photo with Pickler was secretly filming him as part of a Jeffrey Epstein-linked operation.
According to multiple reports, the judge dismissed the case in full, calling the claims not just implausible, but “disconnected from reality.”
Who Is Nigel Max Edge?
On Sept. 27, 2025, Edge allegedly opened fire at the American Fish Company in Southport, N.C., killing three people and injuring six others. He reportedly fled the scene by boat, but was later captured by the U.S. Coast Guard.
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Southport Police Chief Todd Coring called the shooting “highly premeditated” and confirmed that Edge acted alone.
Edge had previously filed multiple lawsuits against local law enforcement and city officials, often involving bizarre conspiracy theories.
35 Country Music Lawsuits That Left Fans Shocked
The music business is a high-stakes, high-risk venture, and it’s not unusual for artists to wind up in court to defend their interests, as we’ll see in this gallery of the nastiest country music lawsuits.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
