As Antonio Brown prepares to make his debut as a Patriot on Sunday, more details about the sexual assault allegations against him have emerged.
Sources tell ESPN's Jeff Darlington that the wide receiver rejected signing a $2 million-plus settlement with his alleged victim, Britney Taylor. Settlement talks reportedly began in April of this year, leading to a mediation that took place in May. Per ESPN's sources, Brown's deadline to agree to the settlement was last Sunday. He waited until his deal with the Patriots was finalized before informing Taylor that he would not settle with her. This prompted Taylor and her attorneys to file a civil lawsuit against Brown in the Southern District of Florida the day after he signed with New England.
Taylor is set to meet with the NFL at the beginning of next week. Darlington reports that she and her attorneys have sent information regarding her encounters with Brown to the NFL ahead of their scheduled meeting. The nature of the information has not yet been publicly disclosed, but it did not sway commissioner Roger Goodell to place AB on the Commissioner's Exempt List. This makes Brown eligible to play in games until further notice. Neither Brown nor his representatives will be present during Taylor's discussion with the league. But Brown's lawyer, Darren Heitner, maintains that AB and Taylor were in a "consensual personal relationship."
