Nike drops NFL star Antonio Brown amid allegations of sexual assault against New England Patriots receiver
Nike has reportedly dropped NFL star player Antonio Brown amid sexual assault allegations against him. The New England Patriots receiver has reportedly been accused of raping his personal trainer. A spokesperson for Nike, in a statement to the Boston Globe, reportedly said that Brown does not have a shoe deal with the athletic giant anymore. "Antonio Brown is not a Nike athlete," the spokesperson said on Wednesday night. When asked for a specific reason, the representative declined to comment on it or the timing of the move.
The 31-year-old NFL player is currently facing allegations in a federal lawsuit that he sexually assaulted his trainer Britney Taylor twice in 2017 and then raped her in May 2018. The trainer's suit was filed nearly three days after Brown signed a $15 million contract with the New England Patriots for a year.
Brown has previously talked about his love for Nike sneakers and his lucrative deal he signed with the company. He made the statements in a YouTube video titled 'Antonio Brown Goes Sneaker Shopping with Complex.' In the video, posted online a few weeks after the rape allegations, Brown splurges $1,055 on five pairs of Nike shoes.
The player, in the clip, says: "I am getting a huge Nike deal, which is opening up leverage for a lot of other guys and a lot of up-and-coming players to get in the marketing world and making money off the field."
Reports state that Nike launched its $100 “Nike Tech Trainer Antonio Brown” shoes in February this year, nearly a month before Pittsburgh Steelers traded Brown to the Oakland Raider, according to the outlet. The sneakers, however, are not sold on Nike's website anymore, although Raiders and Steelers jerseys featuring Brown’s name and No. 84 can still be found online on the website.