Everything You Need to Know About Antonio Brown's Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The Patriots have officially released Antonio Brown. Here’s everything you need to know about the sexual assault allegations and lawsuit.

Antonio Brown Warmups Patriots Dolphins 2019
USA Today Sports

Sep 15, 2019; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown (17) warms up prior to the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Antonio Brown Warmups Patriots Dolphins 2019

So far, the 2019 NFL campaign has been all about one man: Antonio Brown. Brown has only played in one game, but his name has been a mainstay on both sports talk and national news programs. 

The reasons for Brown’s headline dominance are numerous and widely varying. He’s generated buzz for football-specific reasons—his trade demand from Pittsburgh, his dramatic falling out with Oakland, his all-too-predictable resurrection with New England. But he’s also been in the news for a host of very serious off-the-field problems that have led to his character being called into question.

With Brown gearing up for the Patriots’ Week 3 matchup with the Jets, his future with the team—and in the NFL—is uncertain. He currently faces litigation in Florida for three alleged instances of sexual assault. Here is everything you need to know about the ongoing case and his ongoing legal issues. 

A woman, 28-year-old Britney Taylor, filed a lawsuit against Brown, 31, on September 11 in the Southern District of Florida. In the court filing, Taylor alleges that Brown sexually assaulted her three times in 2017 and 2018 and says the third time it happened, Brown raped her. 

Brown and Taylor first got to know each other in college. Both were student-athletes at Central Michigan—Taylor a gymnast from Memphis, and Brown a star on the college’s football team (he was a three-year standout before foregoing his senior season to enter the 2010 draft). According to the suit, Brown was “well known on campus.”

The two met in 2010, when they attended a Bible study through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. At Taylor’s first visit to the group, she was paired up with Brown as her partner. He soon went off to the league and she transferred to LSU, but they stayed in touch.

She says three years after they met—while Brown was establishing himself in the NFL with the Steelers—Brown contacted Taylor on social media and asked for a revealing photo. She sent a photo of her face but refused to send something more revealing, in the process “reminding Brown that they were just friends.” They then stopped communicating for about four years.

Taylor Becomes Brown's Trainer

Antonio Brown Patriots Dolphins 2019

The lawsuit states that, as they rebuilt their friendship through their trainer-trainee partnership, Brown “preyed on Ms. Taylor’s kindness and her religious devotion.” Religion is a central theme in the case.

According to Taylor, Brown portrayed himself as committed to his faith, and this shared connection formed the foundation of their bond, leading to her trusting him. However, the case states, “he used manipulation and false promises to lure her into his world, and once there, he sexually assaulted and raped her.”

In sum, the case includes details of three alleged sexual assaults The first two occurred in June 2017, during the offseason following Brown’s seventh NFL season, by which point he was considered one of the top players in the league.

May 2018: Alleged Rape

Antonio Brown Warmups 2 Patriots Dolphins 2019

Two other incidents that, though not directly related, also reflected poorly on Brown’s character came to light this week following an explosive report from Sports Illustrated’s Robert Klemko

First, another woman alleged that Brown had sexually assaulted her. The woman, who is in her 20s and is anonymous in the piece, says she was hired by Brown to paint a mural of him. The wide out had discovered her work during an artwork auction at a charity softball game in Pittsburgh.

However, while she was at his home and was painting, she turned and found Brown standing behind her and "naked, holding a small hand towel over his genitals."

She recounted what happened: “I was about 40 percent done [with the painting]...I’m on my knees painting the bottom, and he walks up to me butt-ass naked, with a hand cloth covering his [penis] and starts having a conversation with me...I just kept my cool and kept painting. After that, it all ended abruptly.”

In the same article, a Pittsburgh-area doctor said Brown owed him $11,500 in unpaid fees.

Dr. Victor Prisk, who runs Prisk Orthopaedics and Wellness, has filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania seeking compensation from Brown. Prisk said that during an August 2018 appointment, as he tested Brown’s body fat percentage, the wideout farted and laughed about it...after showing up three hours late to that appointment. TMZ obtained video of the farting incident.

“It seemed just childish to me,” Prisk said, according to Sports Illustrated. “I’m a doctor and this man is farting in my face.”

According to Prisk, Brown already had a “flighty” reputation for failing to pay bills, so he was hesitant to take Brown on as a client. Echoing that assertion, Sean Pena, a speed trainer who worked with Brown this summer, is also suing Brown—for $7,200 for unpaid wages.

Antonio Brown Cut by Patriots

Antonio Brown

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