An American man who broke off his engagement is taking his ex to court to demand the return of the engagement ring he paid more than $70,000 for.
Bruce Johnson and Caroline Settino, who were briefly engaged in 2017, have decided to end their relationship, which has led to a legal battle over the engagement ring they each wanted back, CBS News reported.
The case was heard Friday by the Massachusetts Supreme Court, which is expected to decide whether an engagement ring constitutes a “confidential gift” that can be returned to the giver, as long as it did not cause the relationship to end.
Mr Johnson has accused his ex-fiancée of having an affair with another man, who allegedly received a message from Mme Settino said, “My Bruce is going to be in Connecticut for three days. I need to have some fun.”
The woman denied having any relationship with the man she sent the message to, although a lower court judge ruled in her favor, saying Johnson should not get the ring back because he was responsible for calling off the engagement.
Johnson, who was dismissed at first instance, appealed the decision, which was overturned by the Massachusetts Court of Appeals, questioning whether the Supreme Court should rule in favor of the giver of the ring in the event of a breakup.
The Supreme Court will have to decide whether the jewel should be returned to the person who gave it, regardless of who was at fault, as in most American states, or to the person who did not cause the breakage.
