Michael Irvin Denies Sexual Assault Allegation
Michael Irvin, the NFL Hall of Famer and NFL Network television analyst, is denying a sexual assault allegation reportedly made by a Florida woman that he apparently met in a bar.
Irvin is a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Dallas Cowboys, a team for which he spent his entire pro football career (1988-1999). Born in Fort Lauderdale, Irvin was a member of the University of Miami Hurricane’s 1987 national championship team. The five-time Pro Bowler was formerly a regular panelist on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown before joining the NFL Network.
Dallas selected Irvin in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft (11th pick overall).
According to TMZ, the alleged incident also occurred in Fort Lauderdale and is under investigation.
“Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports, a 27-year-old Florida woman filed a police report, claiming she and the NFL Hall of Famer were out at a bar in the early hours of March 21 when they went back to the W hotel, where Michael was staying. The woman says they were in Michael’s room when she began to feel sick. She says the last thing she remembers is fighting him off. She says when she woke up he was about to check out, leaving her behind. She took an Uber home and called 911 at 7:30 AM. She told cops she feared she was drugged and raped. She was advised to go to a medical lab for a swab and a blood test, which she did…”
The New York Postt confirmed with the Fort Lauderdale police that there is an open investigation of a sexual battery report involving Irvin.
Irvin claims that the woman was in his hotel room for only 15 minutes, and nothing untoward occurred there, TMZ added.
The Playmaker’s lawyer also says that Irvin was in town to watch his nieces and nephews run track and to celebrate the birthday of his 90-year-old aunt. In deeming the allegations completely false, the attorney also seemed to suggest that the accuser has a sketchy background.
The lawyer also say that Irwin will cooperate with cops in the investigator and wants to meet For Lauderdale detectives this week, USA Today reported. “Michael steadfastly denies anything happened. There was no sexual assault,” the lawyer declared.
“Despite Irvin’s admitted philandering days while a Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, wife Sandy Harrell has remained with him since 1990. One of his four children, Michael Irvin Jr., now plays for the Hurricanes,” the Miami Herald recalled.
In January, 2011, Michael Irvin settled out of court on a confidential basis a civil lawsuit accusing him of sexual battery in an alleged July 2007 incident at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, ESPN reported at the time. As part of the settlement, Irvin agreed to drop a $100 million counterclaim.
The NFL Network has yet to issue a comment about the Michael lrvin investigation. “It would be hard for the league-owned NFL Network to justify not suspending Irvin now that he has been accused again, given the precedent the league set by suspending Ben Roethlisberger,” NBC’s Pro Football Talk observed about the Michel Irvin accusation. “Although Roethlisberger is an active player while Irvin is a retired player who works for the league as a broadcaster, they both work in the NFL, and the NFL has said its personal conduct rules apply to everyone who works in the league.”
Obviously, it remains to be seen if law enforcement authorities determine that there is evidence to back up the allegation which would result in charges against the former NFL star.
Watch this space for updates on the Michael Irvin sexual assault investigation.
[Featured Image by Ron Jenkins/AP Images]
