UPDATE (2:05 p.m. ET): Contrary to initial reports, the Allegheny County district attorney’s office said it is not investigating the sexual assault allegations made against New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown in a federal lawsuit Tuesday.
Here is the latest statement from the DA’s office:
New statement from DA’s office: the bottom line is that the DA’s office is not going to be reviewing any aspect of the allegations in the lawsuit against Antonio Brown in anyway. #WTAE https://t.co/kMbFyOGI6e pic.twitter.com/FDOIrq8Zbz
— Bob Mayo (@BMayo_WTAE) September 11, 2019
ORIGINAL STORY: Pittsburgh authorities plan to review allegations levied against New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown in a civil lawsuit Tuesday.
Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala on Wednesday told multiple news outlets his office will “look into” the allegations.
BREAKING: DA Zappala says his office will look into sexual assault allegations against Antonio Brown in wake of federal lawsuit.
— Andy Sheehan (@AndySheehankdka) September 11, 2019
Brown’s former training, Britney Taylor, accused the former Steelers star of sexually assaulting her on two occasions in June 2017 and forcibly raping her in May 2018. The first instance of alleged sexual assault occurred in Brown’s Pittsburgh-area home, according to the lawsuit.
“During a training trip in early June 2017, Ms. Taylor was in one of Brown’s homes in the Pittsburgh area, where she was staying because he had not booked her a hotel room,” the suit alleged. “She was getting dressed in an upstairs bathroom when Brown walked in with his penis exposed. She immediately covered her hands with her eyes and walked out of the bathroom. Brown then grabbed her and kissed her without her consent. Ms. Taylor pushed him away and immediately left the room.”
The final two alleged incidents occurred in Miami, where Brown is from, per the lawsuit.
Brown, who played nine seasons in Pittsburgh before being traded to the Oakland Raiders in March, strongly denied all allegations through his attorney Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did the same in a “SportsCenter” interview, calling the lawsuit a “money grab.”
Brown officially signed with New England on Monday after agreeing to terms on a one-year, $15 million contract on Saturday. He made his Patriots practice debut Wednesday afternoon.
A Patriots spokesperson told The New York Times the team was unaware of the allegations or pending lawsuit against Brown when they signed the 31-year-old.
