Change of heart: Former landlord decides not to sue Bush, family

SAN DIEGO -- The former landlord for Reggie Bush's parents won't sue the football star and his family, a dispute that raised questions about whether Bush received improper benefits while playing at Southern California.

"I was instructed not to proceed," attorney Jordan Cohen, who represents Michael Michaels, said Friday. "I'm not commenting any further."

The NCAA is investigating the possibility of improper benefits but has been hampered because of the threat of lawsuits.

David Cornwell, the attorney for the Bush family, didn't immediately return phone calls and an e-mail message.

Michaels has alleged that Bush's parents lived rent-free in his San Diego-area house for a year while Bush was playing at USC. He has said the arrangement came with an understanding that Bush would be the key figure in New Era Sports & Entertainment, a fledgling marketing agency co-founded by Michaels and Lloyd Lake.

Bush signed with other representatives. Michaels and Lake claimed to be out $300,000, including $100,000 in cash disbursements to the Bush family.

Lake's attorney, Brian Watkins, has said for a year that he planned to sue Bush. He said Friday that he hasn't done so yet because of "a variety of factors."