The New York Giants released Josh Brown on Tuesday, and both the kicker and the team issued statements when the roster move was announced. For whatever reason, Brown released his own revised version of that statement less than two hours earlier.
In his first statement, which was issued through ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Brown denied ever physically abusing his ex-wife. Here it is in its entirety:
“I am sorry that my past has called into question the character or integrity of The New York Giants, Mr. Mara or any of those who have supported me along the way. I have taken measures to get help so that I may be the voice of change, not a statistic. It is important to share that I never struck my wife, and never would. Abuse takes many forms, and is not a gray area. Through the past several years I have worked to identify and rectify my own behaviors. The road to rehabilitation is a journey and a constant modification of a way of life. My journey will continue forever as a person determined to leave a positive legacy and I embrace the opportunities to show and speak about what has helped me to be that man. In the interim, I am cooperating with the Giants and the NFL. Thank you to everyone that has supported me, I will not let you down.”
Shortly after that statement was released, the Giants issued a different version. The most important part — Brown denying that he struck his wife — was omitted.
Josh Brown's statement via @Giants is a bit different than the one he released earlier. Gone is where he said he "never struck" his wife. pic.twitter.com/521DLQBTHV
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 25, 2016
Interestingly enough, the Giants say they did not alter the statement. The team claims that is the statement Brown gave them Monday night, so it’s unclear when or why the kicker added the line about never physically abusing his wife.
Giants say their Josh Brown statement was received last night. The ESPN one w/the "I never struck my wife" part, was an updated version.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) October 25, 2016
Obviously, the line that was left out of the team’s version of the statement is critical. When details from Brown’s domestic violence investigation surfaced last week, we learned that he allegedly admitted to abusing his ex-wife physically and emotionally. You can read more about that here.
Somehow, a hideous situation continues to get uglier by the minute.
