Lawsuit accuses Patriots' Brown of raping trainer
A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown of raping a woman who claims she was his personal trainer.
Brown has denied the allegations through his lawyer.
The civil suit filed in a Florida court claims that the plaintiff, an aspiring gymnast, met Brown at a Christian athletes fellowship when they were students at Central Michigan University.
Her lawsuit alleges Brown reached out in 2017 seeking a personal trainer, and she agreed to work for him.
She claims Brown sexually assaulted her three times in 2017 and 2018.
A statement from Brown's lawyer says that the two had a consensual sexual relationship and that the lawsuit is motivated by money.
The New England Patriots issued a statement Tuesday night, saying "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."
Brown is seen as one of the most prominent wide receivers in the National Football League.
He signed a one-year contract with the Patriots last Saturday, releasing him from a short-lived and tumultuous tenure with the Oakland Raiders.
He is set to take the field for his first practice with New England Wednesday and could play against Miami this weekend.
