Report: Antonio Brown accused of rape in lawsuit

Antonio Brown’s turbulent year just took its worst turn yet.

Several media reports emerged Tuesday saying that Brown has been accused of three incidents of sexual assault and rape by his former trainer, according to a lawsuit.

Within the last week, Brown has made headlines for fighting Oakland Raiders general manager Mike Mayock, successfully getting the Raiders to cut him before signing with the New England Patriots.

The lawsuit was filed in Florida by Britney Taylor, alleging three incidents between June 2017 and May 2018. Taylor and Brown met at Central Michigan where they were both student-athletes, and Brown later hired Taylor as his trainer.

According to the lawsuit, Brown exposed himself and kissed Taylor without her permission in June 2017. Later that month, he masturbated behind her and ejaculated on her back, according to the lawsuit quoted in the New York Times report. The lawsuit also has messages sent by Brown bragging about the incident.

In May 2018, the lawsuit says Brown “forcibly” raped Taylor.

“As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision,” Taylor said in a statement released by her lawyer. “I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault.”

Brown’s attorney released a statement of his own Tuesday night.

“Mr. Brown denies each and every allegation in the lawsuit,” Brown’s attorney said.

The 31-year-old receiver was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Raiders, and he was a constantly in the headlines, between freezing his feet in a cryotherapy chamber and refusing to take the field unless he was permitted to wear an outdated helmet that the NFL no longer deemed safe.