Update:
The attorney for Robert Klemko’s source issued the following statement Friday afternoon about the texts messages sent by Antonio Brown:
“The NFL also advised us that it contacted Mr. Brown’s representative and reiterated that Mr. Brown was to cease and desist efforts to contact or intimidate our client.
“The NFL has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation under its Personal Conduct Policy. We will cooperate fully with the NFL in this investigation to ensure that the threats and intimidation against our client cease, and that she and her family remain safe.
“As always, it is important that harassment and intimidation against victims is taken seriously, that victims have appropriate avenues for recourse, and that such behavior is not tolerated – either by an employer such as the NFL, or by society at large.”
Robert Klemko of SI.com reports that Patriots WR Antonio Brown sent harassing text messages to the unnamed accuser who recently shared allegations of Brown’s behavior after she was hired by him to paint a mural at his house.
“I’m on my knees painting the [mural], and he walks up to me butt-ass naked, with a hand cloth covering his [penis] and starts having a conversation with me,” the woman told Klemko. “Unfortunately, I’ve been tried [by men] a lot of times, so I just kept my cool and kept painting. After that, it all ended abruptly.”
Brown sent out a group text message to the woman and accused her of fabricating a “bull sh-t” story in an effort to “make up some stuff for money.”
Beyond that, Brown referred to her as a “super broke girl with a lot of kids” and encouraged another person in the group text to investigate her in order to “see how broke this girl is.”
Brown also included a screenshot of a photo of the woman’s children.
Klemko reports that the woman’s lawyer sent a letter to the NFL explaining that Brown is “intimidating and threatening . . . our client, in violation of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy.”
“Our client . . . is understandably frightened by these text messages, which are clearly intended to threaten and intimidate her,” attorney Lisa J. Banks wrote. “While she certainly qualifies as a ‘starving artist,’ she has never approached Mr. Brown, nor will she, about seeking money to compensate her for his sexual misconduct, contrary to his allegations in the text messages.”
“This sort of intimidation and harassment is the reason victims are often so reluctant to step forward in these cases. We have confidence the NFL and the Patriots will step in and end this behavior.”
According to Klemko, Brown’s lawyer, Darren Heitner, was included in the group text and later told him that he did not advise Brown to communicate with the woman.
NFL investigators plan to speak with the woman’s lawyers about the situation.
It remains to be seen what the NFL and the Patriots will do with Brown, but if the league determines that this was a violation of the personal conduct policy, it opens up the option of them placing Brown on the Commissioner Exempt list.
We’ll have more regarding Brown as the news is available.
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