Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown has been accused of three separate incidents of sexual assault and rape, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Tuesday in the Southern District of Florida. The incidents allegedly occurred in 2017 and 2018.
Here are the details, per the New York Times.
"The lawsuit says that Brown — in three separate incidents, two in June 2017 and another in May 2018 — sexually assaulted a woman named Britney Taylor, a gymnast whom he met while they were attending Central Michigan together and whom he later hired as a trainer.
According to the lawsuit, Brown sexually assaulted Taylor twice during training sessions in June 2017. First, he exposed himself and kissed her without her permission, the lawsuit says. Later that month, the lawsuit says, while she was watching a television program at his home, Brown started masturbating behind her and ejaculated on her back. Brown bragged about the incident in profane text messages that are copied in the lawsuit.
Taylor ended her working relationship with Brown, the lawsuit says, but several months later, when he contacted her to apologize, she relented. She was, according to the lawsuit, “swayed by his assurance that he would cease any sexual advances.”
Taylor's statement, per her lawyer, reads as follows:
“As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision. I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault. Speaking out removes the shame that I have felt for the past year and places it on the person responsible for my rape. I will cooperate with the NFL and any other agencies; however, at this time, I respectfully request that the media please respect my privacy.”
Brown's legal team responded to the accusation with a statement of their own:
Brown intends to countersue Taylor for civil extortion, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson. Brown's lawyer, Darren Heitner, states the 31-year-old will "leave no stone unturned" in defending himself from the allegations.
Here's what NBC Sports Boston's "Boston Sports Tonight" crew had to say about the news:
New England Patriots
The Patriots officially signed Brown to a one-year deal with an option for 2020 on Monday.
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