A captain who starred in “Wicked Tuna” is asking the courts to prevent his parents from selling the vessel he used on the Gloucester-based reality fishing show.
Capt. Timothy “TJ” Ott Jr. has filed a lawsuit that claims his parents are attempting to illegally sell the vessel Hot Tuna, restrict access to others, and illegally sold a Florida home Ott Jr. purchased.
According to court documents filed in Essex County Superior Court, Ott Jr. is claiming his parents Deborah and Timothy Ott Sr. are attempting to illegally sell the Hot Tuna, which Ott Jr. captains as a charter vessel, and keep the money for themselves. Ott Jr. is being represented by Howard Cooper of Todd and Weld LLP in Boston.
Court documents state Ott Jr. and Ott Sr. formed Hot Tuna Ltd. in 1998 which holds the vessels Hot Tuna, Badfish, Seavee and General Marine as assets. Documents state that because Ott Jr. was in his early 20s at the time the FV Hot Tuna was purchased, the vessel title was put in Ott Sr.’s name. The titles for the other three vessels were also put in Ott Sr.’s name as a convenience, according to the suit.
The lawsuit claims Ott Jr. should be seen as an equal owner of the four vessels and Hot Tuna Ltd for three main reasons: he added significant value to the Hot Tuna Ltd. through his celebrity status on “Wicked Tuna;” made significant financial contributions; and, Ott Sr. had previously acknowledged his son as a partner in Hot Tuna Ltd.
According to court documents, both Ott Jr. and Ott Sr. “leveraged the name, access and public stature” of Ott Jr. to benefit Hot Tuna Ltd. and Ott Sr. treated him as an equal partner.
Ott Jr. has invested over $1 million in the majority of the four vessel’s upkeep, according to court documents, which has included marine electronics upgrades, as well as others, in the Hot Tuna, Badfish and Seavee, raising their combined value by $500,000. Ott Jr. also contributed $80,000 to purchase the “General Marine.”
Court documents also state Ott Jr. has made Hot Tuna Ltd. a “significant amount of revenue” through charter tours and the sale of official Hot Tuna and “Wicked Tuna” merchandise.
On June 2, court documents state Ott Jr. learned of his father’s intention to sell the FV Hot Tuna which the lawsuit claims would only be for Ott Sr.’s benefit.
Additionally, the lawsuit claims Ott Sr. and his wife illegally sold a Key West, Florida, home Ott Jr. purchased for $1.1 million. Court documents state Ott Jr. put a $700,000 down payment on the house and kept up with the $400,000 mortgage payments over the course of seven years.
The home at 312 William St. was owned by 312 William St. LLC, which court documents state Ott Jr. had 85% ownership in and Ott Sr. had 15% ownership in.
Court documents state Ott Sr. and his wife sold the property in October 2025 for $1.65 million and kept the $550,000 proceeds for themselves.
Ott Jr. is asking the courts to declare him an equal owner over the vessels and Hot Tuna Ltd. and is seeking damages for breach of contract, breach of good faith and fair dealing, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment.
Staff Writer Bobby Grady may be contacted at 978-675-2714 or bgrady@gloucestertimes.com.