Antonio Brown accused of rape in federal lawsuit

Former Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown has been accused of rape in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Florida.

Brown, who signed Saturday with the New England Patriots, is accused in three separate incidents of sexual assault by former gymnast and college classmate Britney Taylor.

The Review-Journal does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they come forward. Taylor was identified and was quoted in a statement provided by her lawyer.

“As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak up has been an incredibly difficult decision,” Taylor said in the statement. “I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault. Speaking out removes the shame that I have felt for the past year and places it on the person responsible for my rape. I will cooperate with the NFL and any other agencies; however, at this time, I respectfully request that the media respect my privacy.”

The lawsuit alleges Brown exposed himself to Taylor and kissed her without consent in June 2017.

According to the lawsuit, Brown“forcibly raped her” in May 2018.

Taylor claims she cried and screamed “no” and “stop” throughout the third incident. She also claims to have text messages where Brown boasted about the second incident.

An attorney for Brown issued a statement denying all charges and vowing to pursue all legal remedies to not only clear his name, but also protect other athletes from false accusations.

The statement claims Brown and Taylor were reunited when the woman asked for a $1.6 million investment in a business project.

Attorney Darren Heitner said in the statement that in 2018, the accuser “engaged Mr. Brown in a consensual personal relationship. Any sexual interaction with Mr. Brown was entirely consensual. The accuser not only traveled to Mr. Brown’s residences on multiple occasions, she traveled from Tennessee to Florida and returned at 2 a.m. to Mr. Brown’s residence ten days after the alleged assault.”

Brown’s attorney also claims Taylor asked Brown for Steelers tickets in late 2018 and has continually posted pictures of her and Brown on her social media pages.

“Mr. Brown, whose hard work and dedication to his craft has allowed him to rise to the top of his profession, refuses to be the victim of what he believes to be a money grab,” the statement continues. “In May 2018, Mr. Brown’s accuser invited herself to join Mr. Brown and his friends, who were patrons at Miami adult entertainment clubs. After several hours of partying, Mr. Brown and his friends called it a night. Instead of leaving by herself, as she had arrived, and returning to her hotel, Mr. Brown’s accuser solicited Mr. Brown to join her and return to Mr. Brown’s residence where the two engaged in consensual sex.

“Again, Mr. Brown denies all of the accuser’s allegations.”

Brown was traded to the Raiders in March and never played a down for the team. After his release from the Raiders, Brown signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, who on Tuesday released the following statement.

“We are aware of the civil lawsuit that was filed earlier today against Antonio Brown, as well as the response by Antonio’s representatives. We take these allegations very seriously. Under no circumstance does this organization condone sexual violence or assault. The league has informed us that they will be investigating. We will have no further comment while that investigation takes place.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.