Antonio Brown loses endorsement deal after sexual assault allegations

New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown lost an endorsement deal with football helmet manufacturer Xenith in the wake of a federal lawsuit accusing him of assaulting and raping his personal trainer.

In a statement on Friday, Xenith said it decided to “end our relationship with Antonio Brown. We look forward to seeing the Xenith Shadow worn by football athletes at all levels of play this fall.”

Brown announced his partnership with Xenith to wear their Shadow helmet on Sept. 4. In an Instagram post, he said it was his “most calculated move by far” as he showed off the headwear.

Xenith had also announced the news in a blog on Sept. 4, but the post was later removed.

Six days later, on Sept. 10, Brown, 31, was accused of sexual assault, including forcible rape, by his former trainer, Britney Taylor, in a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida.

Taylor alleges that Brown sexually assaulted her twice in June 2017 and again in May 2018.

Darren Heitner, an attorney for Brown, said his client “denies each and every allegation in the lawsuit.”

“He will pursue all legal remedies to not only clear his name, but to also protect other professional athletes against false accusations,” Heitner said in a statement.

Authorities have told NBC News that they have no record of a complaint and no criminal charges have been filed.

One day before the lawsuit was filed, Brown signed with the New England Patriots after being released from the Oakland Raiders days earlier following an argument with that team’s general manager.

During a press conference Wednesday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick declined to discuss the allegations against Brown, telling reporters that Brown and his attorney have made statements and he’s not “going to be expanding on any of those.”

source: nbcnews.com