Former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown has been accused of three incidents of sexual assault in a federal lawsuit, as first reported the New York Times.
According to the lawsuit, which was filed in the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday, the incidents occurred in June 2017 and May 2018, when Brown was still with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The suit claims Brown forced himself on a former college associate Britney Taylor, who was a gymnast at Central Michigan from 2010-11 that Brown later hired as a trainer. Brown played at Central Michigan from 2007-09.
According to the Times, Brown exposed himself and kissed Taylor without her permission, and masturbated onto her in 2017 and then “forcibly” raped her in 2018.
“As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision,” Taylor said to the Times in a statement released by her lawyer. “I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault.”
E-mails that Brown allegedly sent to Taylor were part of the lawsuit.
In a statement released by attorney Darren Heitner, Brown denied the allegations and claimed that “any sexual interaction with Mr. Brown was entirely consensual.”
STATEMENT REGARDING ANTONIO BROWN: https://t.co/yvEcRyilbt pic.twitter.com/0K9G8vJeG1
— Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) September 11, 2019
Heitner also claimed that Taylor had previously been involved in a scheme to defraud Brown.
ESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that Brown intends to counter-sue Taylor for extortion.
It is unclear if Taylor ever filed charges against Brown with police in either incident.
Brown was traded from the Steelers to the Oakland Raiders in March after a string of incidents that began with him walking out of the team’s Week 17 practice in 2018.
Off the field, Brown was cited for reckless driving and was sued by a celebrity chef and personal trainer.
He arrived at Oakland’s training camp via hot air balloon, but was largely absent, citing a frostbite injury from a cryotherapy chamber and engaging in a battle with the NFL over his preferred helmet being de-certified.
After eventually settling matters with the league, Brown was fined by the Raiders. He made those fines public, igniting an altercation with general manager Mike Mayock in which Brown reportedly threatened Mayock and referred to him with a racial slur.
The Raiders suspended and fined Brown and voided his contract guarantees, which prompted him to ask for his release. Late last week, the Raiders released Brown and he signed with the New England Patriots.