The newest member of the New England Patriots faces at least two allegations of sexual misconduct as well as other accusations of misconduct. Antonio Brown joined the Super Bowl-winning team after the Oakland Raiders released him following a contentious summer with the Oakland Raiders.

Brown, who signed a one-year contract with the Patriots shortly before the first Sunday of the NFL season, was accused of rape by his former trainer, Britney Taylor. Taylor filed a civil lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida against Brown alleging that he sexually assaulted her several times and “forcibly raped” her at his residence in 2018, Sports Illustrated reported.

The two met while they were both athletes at Central Michigan University. Brown first exposed himself and kissed Taylor without her consent while she stayed at his Pittsburgh-area home in June 2017, the suit claimed. Later that month, Brown allegedly “began masturbating near her without her knowledge and ejaculated on her back” while she was staying at his Miami home.

Taylor said she ended her working relationship with Brown after this incident, but resumed it months later after Brown apologized. The lawsuit then claimed that on May 20, 2018, after a night of socializing with others, Brown “forced her down onto a bed, pushed her face into the mattress, and forcibly raped her.”

Brown denied the accusations in a statement released by his attorney. The Patriots receiver has not been criminally charged or arrested over the allegations. According to MassLive, due to the lack of criminal investigation, the NFL has not yet opted to impose any discipline against Brown.

In response to the allegations, Brown’s attorney claimed that Taylor was in a “consensual personal relationship” with Brown and that she posted photos of the NFL player on her social media “in an effort to financially benefit from his celebrity.”

Brown reportedly rejected a proposed $2 million settlement with Taylor during the spring, ESPN reported. Taylor was interviewed for a purported 10 hours by the NFL on September 16 as part of its investigation, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported.

Shortly after Taylor’s lawsuit, a second woman accused Brown of sexual misconduct. The artist met Brown at a charity softball game in Pittsburgh to benefit the National Youth Foundation in June 2017 and said she was hired to paint a mural of him on a wall in his home. Brown reportedly agreed to pay the female artist a daily fee of $1,000 for her work and provided transportation for her from New York City to western Pennsylvania.

The woman said that Brown had flirted with her during her first day at work, but she ignored his advances and was thrilled when he shared her work on social media. The situation intensified on her second day of working on the mural. The artist, who asked Sports Illustrated to remain anonymous, said she was kneeling while painting the bottom portion of the mural when Brown allegedly walked up behind her, naked except for a small hand towel covering his genitals.

“He was flirty with me but I paid him no mind because I was there on business, plus, I had already seen him with multiple girls in the short time I was with him,” the artist told the magazine.

“I was about 40 percent done on the second day, and I’m on my knees painting the bottom, and he walks up to me butt-a— naked, with a hand cloth covering his [penis] and starts having a conversation with me.”

The woman said she kept calm and continued working. However, the next day she was told that Brown was heading to Miami. Then, Brown and his assistants proceeded to “ghost” her by not returning her messages. While she was paid $2,000 for the two days of work, she did not hear from Brown again.

According to Sports Illustrated, the female artist is not pursuing criminal charges or remuneration.

Brown’s attorney, Darren Heitner, said the player had reviewed the allegations of sexual misconduct made by the artist and “denies that he ever engaged in such activities.” Heitner said there would be “no further comment” about the accusation.

In addition to Brown’s allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, the wide receiver is also facing accusations that he refused to pay former assistants and part-time employees. One of the co-founders of the National Youth Foundation, where Brown reportedly met the unnamed artist, also accused the football player of failing to pay $700 for a portrait of himself that he purchased at an auction.

Sophia Hanson said that she and the unnamed artist have messaged and emailed Brown and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, requesting the $700 payment, but they have not heard back. Hanson told Sports Illustrated that her organization did not want to sue Brown because the group’s mission “is all about seeing the good in people and lifting people up.”

Despite the allegations from Taylor, the league has not scheduled an interview with Brown, The Boston Globe reported. The wide receiver remains eligible to play for the Patriots and is expected to play against the New York Jets this Sunday.

About the Author

Nicole Rojas is a breaking news writer for The North Star. She has published in various publications, including Newsweek, GlobalPost, IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly, and the Long Island Post. Nicole graduated from Boston University in 2012 with a degree in print journalism. She is an avid world traveler who recently explored Asia and Australia.