Chad Kelly finally broke his silence on a new lawsuit filed against him in Toronto on Friday. It took him nine days to do so.
The 29-year-old, who was named as the Canadian Football League’s most outstanding player last season, vehemently denies all of the allegations. He claims complete innocence and will fight to clear his name.
I am shocked by the allegations which have been made against me. I absolutely deny these events and intend to vigorously defend myself and will be seeking the dismissal of the action.
— @Chadkelly_6 on X
Kelly released his short and simple statement on March 1. A former Toronto Argonauts strength and conditioning coach filed the lawsuit against the team and its star quarterback on Feb. 21 in Ontario Superior Court.
She demands $50,000 from the CFL’s highest-paid player for allegedly violating the Ontario Human Rights Code and $85,714 from the Argos for wrongful dismissal. The league is also named in the suit.
According to the plaintiff, Kelly “repeatedly sought to initiate romantic connections.” His behavior allegedly escalated after she politely declined his advances.
The repeated episodes supposedly reached their peak in November. Kelly is accused of discussing the staff member’s personal business with other members of the organization.
A member of the Argonauts informed [her] that on Nov. 5, 2023, while on the team bus, [Kelly] publicly accused [her] of engaging in romantic relations with another team member.
When the plaintiff confronted the quarterback about his comments, he is said to have exploded.
Instead of addressing the concerns, Chad reacted with aggression, screaming, cursing, and waving his hands at [her].
At that point, the staff member claims that she told Kelly not to contact her unless it is work related. One hour later, he supposedly yelled derogatory words in her direction and stated his excitement for her to be fired.
Chad Kelly denies these events.
Additional alleged incidents between the player and the staffer are also outlined in the lawsuit and led her to escalate the situation to the head strength coach and the front office. She claims that the organization “failed to address [her] legitimate concerns and then terminated her employment.”
The lawsuit is focused on both the alleged harassment from Kelly and how the team handled it.
Although the team has yet to make a public statement on the matter, the CFL announced that it is conducting its own independent investigation. Meanwhile, Chad Kelly says that the plaintiff is spinning yarn.