Marriott reveals what Michael Irvin told female employee as allegations against former NFL star surface
ARIZONA: Marriott has revealed its own version of what transpired during a meeting last month between Michael Irvin and a hotel employee who wanted to accuse the NFL Network analyst of making unwelcome sexual advances. The NFL icon was in Arizona to cover the Super Bowl, but was relieved of his anchoring duties before the game after a female employee at the Renaissance Phoenix Hotel & Spa accused him of harassing her.
Irvin, who compared the incident to a 'lynching' in a media briefing, is now suing "Jane Doe" and Marriott for $100 million in damages after the latter initially refused to release internal CCTV video of the incident. Marriott fought back with its own account of what happened on February 5 in a motion filed Friday in response to the lawsuit, Daily Mail reports.
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Why was Michael Irvin removed from Super Bowl?
Michael Irvin, a former Dallas Cowboys hero, defended himself Wednesday, March 8, following allegations of inappropriate behavior at his hotel during the Super Bowl that led to his expulsion from the NFL Network and ESPN. The Hall of Famer expressed his anger over the punishment, but denied knowing about the specific charges. "This sickens me," Irvin stated. "How can I defend myself, if I don’t even know what I’m defending myself against?" reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In the week leading up to Super Bowl LVII, Irvin was suspended from broadcasts on the NFL Network and ESPN over allegations of inappropriate behavior at the Marriott Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel in Arizona. Few details emerged after Irvin's encounter with a Marriott employee on the evening of February 5, and the Hall of Famer sued Marriott for $100 million. According to The Athletic, Marriott alleged in a court filing that Irvin made "harassing and inappropriate comments."
What did Marriot reveal?
In a 28-page motion filed Friday and obtained by USA Today, Marriott first criticized Irvin for asserting his innocence at a news conference Wednesday, saying it takes him "back to a time where a white woman would accuse a black man of something, and they would take a bunch of guys that were above the law, run in a barn, put a rope around his foot and drag him through the mud and hang him by a tree."
"Irvin’s counsel provided a self-serving, inaccurate summary of the video footage Marriott produced, including his claim that the footage proves Irvin did nothing wrong and then turned the microphone over to Irvin to make racially charged statements," Marriott stated in the filing.
Michael Irvin was 'visibly intoxicated'
The NFL asked the hotel to notify them of any incidents involving visitors who stayed in their room block on February 4, the day before the game. Irvin allegedly stopped the employee that night and "appeared to be visibly intoxicated" before behaving aggressively toward the employee, shaking her hand, complimenting her on her appearance and asking her if she watched football, according to Marriott.
What did Michael Irvin say to the woman?
The lawsuit reads, "Irvin reached out and touched the Victim’s arm during this conversation without her consent, causing her to step back, becoming visibly uncomfortable. Irvin then asked the Victim whether she knew anything about having a big Black man inside of [her]. Irvin then attempted to grab the Victim’s hand again and said he was ‘sorry if he brought up bad memories’ for her.’ The Victim pulled her hand away and tried to back away from Irvin as he continued to move towards her."
According to the lawsuit, two hotel employees noticed that their co-worker was restless when she returned to work, and the plaintiff returned to work the next day and brought the matter to her supervisor, who instructed her to report the complaint to loss prevention. The accuser, referred to as "Victim" in the most recent application and "Jane Doe" in previous applications, was then interviewed by NFL investigators, and Irvin left the hotel that same evening. The woman has not yet filed a report with Phoenix police.
In the same court document, Marriott requested that the court issue a protective order to ensure the safety and privacy of those whose identities are revealed on the video, expressing concern that the video would become public and wanting to prevent the case from receiving too much attention before trial. Marriott eventually provided Irvin and his attorneys with an unedited video of the discussion, which took place in the lobby Friday after the court repeatedly asked that the evidence be produced.