Former Dallas Cowboys star and NFL commentator Michael Irvin has been pulled from the NFL Network and ESPN’s coverage of the Super Bowl following a complaint from a woman.
Per the Dallas Morning News, Irvin won’t appear on any coverage in the lead up to Sunday due to the complaint, which has not been publicly disclosed. Irvin has described the interaction with the unnamed woman as a “brief, public and largely non-physical encounter.” He said he only shook the woman’s hand when they parted ways. The NFL Network and ESPN have not commented further on the encounter, which happened on Sunday in Arizona.
“Michael Irvin will not be a part of NFL Network’s Super Bowl LVII week coverage,” NFL Media vice president of communications Alex Riethmiller confirmed.
“Honestly, I’m a bit baffled with it all,” Irvin said. “This all happened in a 45-second conversation in the lobby. When I got back after going out … I came into the lobby, and I talked to somebody. I talked to this girl. I don’t know her, and I talked to her for about 45 seconds. We shook hands. Then, I left. … That’s all I know. I don’t really recall that conversation, to tell you the truth. We were out drinking. It was just a friendly conversation. ‘What’s up?’ I don’t even know. … I am totally perplexed.”
Irvin said that there should be video of the brief encounter, but he has not viewed the footage and does not know the name of the woman. He was scheduled to be a guest on First Take on Friday alongside hosts Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim, but that will no longer happen per an ESPN spokesperson.
