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Antonio Brown provided us with plenty of drama during this year’s NFL preseason thanks to frostbitten feet and the ill-fitting helmet that would serve as the impetuous for his release from the Raiders and it appeared he was going to get a chance at a fresh start when he signed with the Patriots shortly after he parted ways with Oakland.
However, he soon found himself at the center of a far more serious situation when his former trainer Britney Taylor came forward to accuse the wide receiver of sexually assaulting her on three separate occasions shortly before another woman levied similar allegations against him.
Taylor—who spoke with the NFL for 10 hours after going public—filed a lawsuit against Brown in a Florida court and doubled down last month when she added even more charges to the case, and a couple of weeks ago, he was officially served over the matter.
Brown and his representatives have repeatedly denied Taylor’s claims, and now, ESPN reports the trainer has been hit with a defamation lawsuit courtesy of Brown, who is saying he lost out on contract money and endorsement deals thanks to her accusations.
The outlet reports Brown claims any sexual contact the two had was consensual and says Taylor forced him to sign a confidentiality agreement back in March that has prevented him from sharing his side of the story.
He also alleges Taylor is going after him out of spite because he refused to give her $1.65 million when she tried to get him to invest in a company she was trying to start.
Taylor’s attorney issued a stern response to the new development, saying:
“Today, Antonio Brown countersued the woman he raped and blamed her for the self-destructive conduct that led to the demise of his NFL career.
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 has produced a number of receipts that appear to support her side of the story and Brown certainly didn’t help his case when he threatened the other woman who came forward, so while only a court of law can decide who’s telling the truth here, he would appear to be facing an uphill battle given the evidence currently at hand.