Jon Gruden Reportedly Approved of Antonio Brown's Use of Their Phone Conversation

"He goes: 'Wow. I love it. Loved it. Love it.'"

Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders
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Image via Getty/Abbie Parr

Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders

Antonio Brown's final two days with the Raiders started heading toward its claimax with a video containing a recorded conversation between him and his now former coach, Jon Gruden. A few critics wondered if that was even legal; California being a two-party state means both parties must give consent to being recorded. The creator of Brown's controversial YouTube video told ESPN's Dan Le Batard Show that Raiders coach Jon Gruden actually approved of the audio. 

On @LeBatardShow, the producer of Antonio Brown’s hype video confirmed Jon Gruden approved the use of their phone conversation in video before it was released on social media #Raiders

— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) September 9, 2019

AB's time in Oakland ended with a dramatic exit after the Raiders obliged his request and released him. But prior to getting his freedom papers, Brown posted several antagonistic messages to his outlets. This included a YouTube video in which a taped conversation between himself and Jon Gruden was used as the background audio for Brown's offseason workouts.

Of Brown were to have dropped this audio without asking Gruden then he would have been in threat of facing a maximum one-year jail sentence, $2,500 in fines, and other penalties. But producer Alejandro Narciso claims Gruden was all for the footage.

"We told [Brown], 'Send the video to Gruden and see what he thinks. We can get consent that way," Narciso said. "My whole thing the entire time that we were waiting for the response was that Gruden was going to be like, 'Listen, AB. I love you, man. But, that's disrespectful...' And he responds like 15 minutes later. Three texts. He goes: 'Wow. I love it. Loved it. Love it.'"

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