Antonio Brown’s former personal trainer has accused the star NFL wide receiver of rape, in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Florida.
Britney Taylor, who went to college with the newly signed New England Patriot, has alleged that Brown assaulted her on three separate occasions.
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The civil lawsuit alleges:
- During a June 2017 training session, Brown exposed himself and kissed Taylor without her consent.
- In another session that month, Brown masturbated near Taylor without her knowledge and ejaculated on her back. According to the suit, Brown bragged about this in messages to Taylor.
- Taylor stopped working with Brown after the masturbation incident but returned after he apologized and promised to stop making sexual advances. The suit alleges that after a night out in Miami on May 20, 2018, Brown cornered Taylor and “forcibly raped her,” overpowering her when she shouted “no” and “stop.”
“As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision,” Taylor said in a statement. “I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault. Speaking out removes the shame that I have felt for the past year and places it on the person responsible for my rape.”
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Brown’s lawyer, Darren Heitner, released a statement claiming the lawsuit from Taylor was motivated by money and that she had previously sought an investment from Brown for a business idea.
“Mr. Brown, whose hard work and dedication to his craft has allowed him to rise to the top of his profession, refuses to be the victim of what he believes to be a money grab,” Heitner said in the statement.
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ESPN reported Tuesday that the Patriots were caught by surprise by the allegations and that Brown’s legal team had not yet been in contact with the NFL.
“We are aware of the civil lawsuit that was filed earlier today against Antonio Brown, as well as the response by Antonio’s representatives,” the Patriots said in a statement on Tuesday night. “We take these allegations very seriously. Under no circumstances does this organization condone sexual violence or assault. The league has informed us that they will be investigating. We will have no further comment while that investigation takes place.”
Brown, a seven-time Pro Bowler, just signed with the Patriots this past weekend after a brief and tumultuous tenure with the Oakland Raiders, during which he was released before playing a single game. ESPN reported it’s possible Brown could be placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he is ineligible to play until the league investigates the allegations.
Cover: In this Aug. 15, 2019, file photo, Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown watches from the sidelines during the second half of the team’s NFL preseason football game against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz. Brown, who was released by the Raiders last week and is now with the New England Patriots, has been accused of rape by a former trainer. Britney Taylor says Brown sexually assaulted her on three occasions, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Sept. 10, in the Southern District of Florida. Brown has denied the allegations (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
