It looks like Antonio Brown isn’t backing down.
Earlier this week, it was reported that he allegedly felt optimistic that he’ll be cleared to return to the NFL this season. Now, he has decided to countersue the woman who accused him of rape, TMZ reports.
Brown has claimed that the woman, Britney Taylor, is lying and has “all but ruined Brown's career.” The former wide receiver filed documents on Wednesday that hit back at Taylor, who sued Brown in September. Back then, Taylor claimed Brown assaulted her three separate times, including a rape in 2018.
Brown has consistently denied the allegations, and now he’s seeking Taylor out for defamation. “In summary, after enduring a failed business endeavor and also failing to gain the relationship status she desired with Brown, Taylor began a vicious campaign of lies and deceit targeting Brown both personally and professionally,” court documents say, per ESPN.
“Taylor's acts have all but ruined Brown's career, causing him to lose a number of substantial and lucrative business contracts, and impacting the public persona in such a manner as to cause Brown and his family significant personal and financial harm,” the suit continues.
Brown has alleged that Taylor—a former gymnast—only sued him to hurt him for declining to invest $1.6 million in a gymnastics “business project” in 2017. Taylor’s attorney has released a statement in response to Brown’s countersuit, saying, “Antonio Brown countersued the woman he raped and blamed her for the self-destructive conduct that led to the demise of his NFL career.”
The lawyer added, “In the past, Defendant Brown has used intimidation to avoid responsibility for his actions. However, Ms. Taylor will not be bullied and remains steadfast in holding Defendant Brown accountable."
Taylor and Brown first met at Central Michigan as student athletes. When Brown went to the NFL, both sides say Taylor became his personal trainer. Brown claims they had a consensual sexual relationship.
Taylor then filed her lawsuit after he finalized a deal with the New England Patriots for a $15 million contract. While the team kept him on for a week after her allegations, Brown was cut when threatening text messages to a different woman surfaced, who had also accused him of sexual misconduct.
