Antonio Brown had an opportunity to reach a settlement with the woman who has accused him of sexually assaulting her on numerous occasions, but the star wide receiver decided not to sign off on the agreement after months of negotiations.
Brown had been discussing settlement options with his former friend and trainer, Britney Taylor, since April and was given a deadline of last Sunday night to sign a proposed agreement, but ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reports that he opted against it. The deadline expired around the same time Brown agreed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots, and Taylor filed her civil lawsuit in court on Tuesday.
The settlement reportedly would have paid Taylor in excess of $2 million.
Neither the NFL nor the Patriots knew of the allegations against Brown prior to the lawsuit being filed, and that is because the previous discussions between Brown and Taylor were confidential. It’s unclear if Brown verbally agreed to the settlement and then later changed his mind.
Taylor has accused Brown of sexually assaulting her on two separate occasions in 2017 and raping her in 2018. She is scheduled to meet with the NFL on Monday and is willing to fully cooperate with the league’s investigation.
The Patriots supposedly would not have signed Brown had they known about the allegations, but they chose to stick with him after the lawsuit was filed. Brown’s contract with the Patriots includes $9 million guaranteed, and he practiced with the team this week and will play against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
