The Seriously Shady Side Of Antonio Brown

Elsa/Getty Images

This article contains references to sexual assault, hate speech, and domestic violence.

There are NFL troublemakers, and then there's Antonio Brown. The former wide receiver, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before quitting the game in unsportsmanlike fashion, has barely been out of the headlines since rising to infamy in the early 2010s. And it's usually for the wrong reasons.

Indeed, Brown is such a serial offender that we didn't have the space to fully delve into all of his misdemeanors: the reckless driving conviction, for example, or the time he was asked to leave a Holiday Inn for unruly behavior. And let's not forget his taunting of fellow controversial sports star Caitlin Clark, his accusations that NBC is deliberately conspiring against Elon Musk, and his ongoing beef with essentially every other player in the NFL. From sexual misconduct and fake vaccination cards to jewelry thieving and apartment trashing, here's a look at 14 of his most seriously shady cases.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Antonio Brown took decluttering to new extremes in 2018 when he was filmed throwing various pieces of furniture from the balcony of his 14th floor apartment in Florida. The wide receiver, who rented the property at a cost of $35,000 per month, only narrowly missed a toddler with one of the items. And he was subsequently sued by both the young boy's parents and the owners of The Mansions at Acqualina complex as a result.

George Minski, an attorney for the latter, compared the inside of the apartment to that of a wild college party in an interview with CBS Pittsburgh: "Furniture was askew, walls were broken, doors were broken, mirrors were broken, lamps were turned over, scratches on the floors. This is a furnished unit with custom furniture, leather sofas, silk love seats, very high-end furnishings, appliances, and there's damage in every room."

Although Brown settled out of court with the mother and father of the child he nearly hit, the NFL star decided to countersue The Mansions, pinning the blame for all the carnage on an alleged burglary he claimed was enabled by their lack of security. But the judge was having none of it and found him liable for all the damage as well as the landlord's lost rent and attorney fees.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

In 2019, Antonio Brown was accused of sexually assaulting his former personal trainer on three occasions. According to a civil lawsuit filed by Britney Taylor, the first incident took place two years previously when he exposed himself at his Pittsburgh home before kissing her without consent. And the allegations got increasingly serious.

Taylor claimed that just a month later, and without her knowledge, the football star masturbated in her presence. Then in May 2018, as reported by ESPN, Brown allegedly "forced her down onto a bed, pushed her face into the mattress and forcibly raped her" at his property in Miami. The former Oakland Raiders star not only denied all the accusations, but he also filed a countersuit, claiming that Taylor was simply retaliating after he decided against investing in her gym business.

In 2021, both parties agreed to settle on undisclosed terms, with Brown's representative Alana Burstyn, telling the press (via NBC News), "Having reflected on their relationship, both feel that the time has come to move on. Antonio is grateful for Britney's excellent training assistance. They are pleased that Antonio is doing so well with the Bucs and has a ring. Their dispute is resolved and they wish each other great continued success."

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Just days after Antonio Brown after the lawsuit from former personal trainer Britney Taylor, a second woman came forward to accuse him of a sexual crime. On this occasion, the wide receiver was said to have repeatedly exposed himself to an artist (who preferred to stay anonymous) while she painted a mural at his Pittsburgh property.

The pair first came into contact when Brown bought a portrait of himself at a charity auction in 2017 painted by the artist. The seven-time Pro-Bowler was so bowled over by the work that he hired the woman for a personal project at his own home. She later told Sports Illustrated that on her first day, the footballer began flirting with her with only a small towel covering his modesty. Then, on her second day, Brown apparently did the same, this time exposing his backside.

"Unfortunately, I've been tried [by men] a lot of times, so I just kept my cool and kept painting," the artist recalled. "After that, it all ended abruptly." Brown also allegedly failed to pay the $700 he bid for the portrait and kept another painting that the woman had brought in the hope that he'd promote it on his various social media channels. In a statement, the football star's lawyer, Darren Heitner, said that his client "denies that he ever engaged in such activities."

Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images

Antonio Brown added Mike Mayock to the increasingly long list of people he wronged in 2019 following an altercation that, according to reports, nearly turned physical. And the wide receiver's disrespect for the Oakland Raiders' manager's scheduling was the catalyst.

After skipping several practices without an excuse, Brown was hit with a $54,000 fine by Mayock. Instead of apologizing for his no-shows, however, the football star uploaded the official paperwork he was issued to Instagram. And the day after, he squared up to the manager, allegedly calling him expletives and threatening to punch him. In fact, linebacker Vontaze Burfict was just one of several teammates who reportedly had to hold Brown back.

The Super Bowl champion concluded his display by punting a football in front of Mayock while telling him to fine him for that. In a rare act of contrition, Brown issued a heartfelt apology for his actions and was subsequently spared what many felt to be an inevitable suspension. 

Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images

Antonio Brown's 2020 got off to a typically turbulent start when he got into a bizarre altercation with the driver of a moving truck. The wide receiver had reportedly thrown a rock at Anton Tumanov due to a payment dispute. He then repeatedly struck the man after forcing his way into the truck's driver's side before being held back by his friends.

Brown's personal trainer, Glenn Holt, was also arrested for the incident, which saw the NFL star charged with misdemeanor battery, felony burglary of a vehicle, and misdemeanor criminal mischief. Six months later, the Super Bowl champion received a two-year probation sentence and a 100-hour community service order after pleading no contest. He was also required to undergo a psychological evaluation and a 13-week counseling program to help with his anger management.

Things got worse for Brown in a civil suit a year later when he was ordered to pay Tumanov a whopping $1.2 million. A jury in Broward County found the sportsman liable for the driver's medical expenses as well as the emotional trauma he suffered from the attack. Additionally, the defendant didn't exactly help his case by failing to show up for the hearing.

Mark Brown/Getty Images

In 2020, following a catalog of serious allegations off the field, Antonio Brown was found to have fallen foul of the personal conduct policy implemented by the NFL. And he was hit with a payment-free eight-game suspension as a result.

Brown, who was a free agent at the time, had been investigated by the NFL for various offenses including charges of burglary and battery of a moving company truck driver and the sending of threatening messages toward an artist who'd accused him of sexual misconduct. Although he was still allowed to sign with a team, he was forbidden from stepping foot on the field with them until his suspension had passed.

Perhaps surprisingly, Brown not only decided against appealing the decision, but he also appeared to fully accept it. "I appreciate the NFL giving me the opportunity to continue to work on myself and improve," he wrote on Instagram via ESPN. "Thank you to my family and all those that have supported me. I will show the fans my appreciation for this second chance by having the best season of my career." Of course, it wasn't long before the wide receiver was once again bringing the game into disrepute.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

In 2021, Antonio Brown and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammate Mike Edwards were both fined for lying about their vaccination status. Alongside free agent John Franklin III, the pair were said to have deliberately got their hands on fake vaccination cards, a strict violation of the NFL's COVID-19 protocols.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Brown had been instrumental in their acquisition: it was reportedly his girlfriend who asked his one-time live-in chef Steven Ruiz to obtain the cards, a task the latter was allegedly paid $500 for. Two months earlier, the NFL star had been forced to miss the Buccaneers' game against the Los Angeles Rams after testing positive for the virus.

However, Sean Burstyn, Brown's lawyer, insisted (via The New York Times) that despite all the subterfuge, his client had been vaccinated at least once via a drive-thru site and that the wide receiver "continues to support the vaccine for any person for whom it is appropriate." But Burstyn didn't know, nor did he ask, about when exactly the football star had received his first dose.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Antonio Brown's apparent habit of exposing himself continued in 2022 when he was filmed at a Dubai hotel's outdoor swimming pool, thrusting his bare bottom into the face of a fellow guest before whipping his manhood toward her, too.

According to two witnesses who spoke to the New York Post, the Super Bowl winner repeatedly flaunted his genitalia while asking the woman in question, "You want it?" The latter was reportedly left disturbed by the incident and could later be heard shouting about Brown's behavior to others staying at the hotel.

Brown immediately went on the defense after the news emerged, tweeting that the report was part of a conspiracy to bring him down. "Every chance they get to sway the heat off themselves they use me. In the video you can clearly see she runs off with my swim trunks. If roles were reversed the headlines would read 'AB having a wild night with nude female.' Yet when it's me it automatically becomes a hate crime." Continuing his rant, the sportsman also claimed that the NFL was using players of color as guinea pigs by allowing them to play while still concussed.

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Antonio Brown once again added to his rap sheet in December 2022 when he was accused of domestic violence. According to police reports, the seven-time pro-Bowler threatened to shoot the mother of four of his children, Chelsea Kyriss, after throwing a shoe that struck her head, locking her out of his Tampa home, and emptying her possessions onto the street.

"The suspect placed an informal eviction notice on the door ... with 11/28/2022 at the date showing the victim has seven days to gather her belongings and leave," the report stated (via the Daily Mail). Brown claimed that his ex-fiancée didn't have any rights at the property in question and didn't live there, yet the same address had been listed on Kyriss' ID as her main residence for over a month.

Brown refused to cooperate when officers arrived on the scene, barricading himself inside the property, which, according to Kyriss, was said to host several guns. The New York Post reported that officers shouted, "We're not going anywhere," at the scene as a warrant was swiftly issued for his arrest. The Hillsborough County (Florida) State Attorney's Office, however, later decided against pursuing a battery charge. 

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Antonio Brown was also arrested for his behavior toward another one of his children's mothers, Wiltrice Jackson, in 2022. And this time, it was his failure to provide financial support for the daughter they shared that got the police involved.

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star owed over $30,000 in child support payments according to Jackson and was released on a bond of half that amount after being apprehended by the Broward County Sheriff's Department. "Right now, he's making a mockery out of the judge, out of everything, because he feels like he's untouchable," she told TMZ about the sportsman's conduct.

Pascal Michel, Jackson's attorney, also told the same site that it wasn't just money that his client was after. She also wanted Brown to have more involvement in the life of their daughter Antanyiah, a promising track and field athlete who'd attracted interest from more than 80 different colleges. "By him having a daughter like an athlete like her, you would think he'd be in her corner to support her," Jackson added. Brown responded by enjoying a shopping spree and describing his ex as "a money hungry b****."

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

It seems fair to say that things have turned sour between Antonio Brown and Tom Brady since the latter kindly invited the former to stay at his home upon joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Barely a week goes by these days without some kind of squabble between the pair going public.

As you'd expect, Brown has often been the instigator, whether it's calling out Brady for the leave of absence he took from the Buccaneers' scheduled training camp, stirring up trouble between him and ex-wife Gisele Bündchen, or blaming him for an injury to his ankle. So where does the beef stem from?

Well, during an appearance on podcast "Million Dollaz Worth of Game," Brown explained that he didn't appreciate how Brady dealt with his agent Ed Wasielewski during contract talks in 2021: "Imagine if you heard that, the same guy that brought you in to win a ring, the same agent he told you to hook up with to get the deal, is now telling me, the guy's calling him ... cursing him out about scraps of a contract." In May 2024, Brown claimed that his feud with Brady was now over, but that didn't stop him from questioning his skills as a broadcaster just a few months later.

Romain Maurice/Getty Images

Antonio Brown once again found himself in hot water in 2023 for his conduct toward his ex-fiancée and mother of four of his children. On this occasion, the wide receiver was suspended by Snapchat after he allegedly uploaded a revealing photo of Chelsie Kyriss without her consent.

"I have reported his page and all pictures," Kyriss told TMZ after learning that an image of her performing oral sex had been posted online. "Unfortunately, Snapchat is allowing him to repost." She then gave an apology to any parents whose children consider Brown a role model, adding, "I do not condone these actions as you are aware I have kids involved as well."

To say that Brown remained unrepentant is an understatement. While being investigated by Snapchat, he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to offer some cryptic stream-of-consciousness thoughts. As reported by the Daily Mail, these included "somewhere between psy.chot.ic and i.con.ic," "What more Can I SAY NOW?" and "Don't play wit [sic] me, Play Football."

Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Antonio Brown's legal woes continued in 2024 when he was ordered to pay a celebrity jeweler a seven-figure sum for his failure to return several highly valuable pieces. The wide receiver decided not to fight the lawsuit filed by Shuki International and was ordered to pay just shy of $1.1 million as a result.

The drama began when Brown took out two diamond fingers on loan that were worth a cool $500,000 each. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer regularly showed off the items in public. However, as with the rose gold diamond version that he also managed to accrue from the same jeweler, the Super Bowl winner didn't hand them back, nor did he offer any financial compensation.

Understandably, Shuki International — whose clients also include similarly controversial sportsman Floyd Mayweather — weren't prepared to let the valuables slip through their hands and sought legal action after a year of trying to get them back. Shuki later revealed that he was disappointed that things had escalated to such a degree as he and Brown used to be close.

Gotham/Getty Images

At the start of 2024, Travis Kelce hailed Antonio Brown as one of his favorite people to follow on X. It's unlikely he felt that way by the end of 2024, though, as the controversial former footballer appeared to spend much of the year trolling his celebrity girlfriend Taylor Swift.

Brown's social media offense started when he shared an AI-generated cartoon image depicting himself in a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey kissing the "Shake It Off" hitmaker who was dressed as a cheerleader. Several months later, he uploaded an unflattering mock-up of what the power couple would look like after 16 years together. And then he captioned an image of Swift and proud Republican Brittany Mahomes spending time together at the US Open (via The Independent), "White People for Trump."

But many people felt Brown crossed the line when he tweeted a misogynistic comment that advised Kelce to start dating a Black woman. Unsurprisingly, the wide receiver soon felt the full force of the Swiftie Army, with one fan remarking, "Guy who spends Sundays on Twitter calls guy that is one year older than him and that is still playing 'washed?' OK. That checks out." Yet, the unrepentant Brown still hasn't deleted the controversial comment.

If you or anyone you know needs help with sexual abuse or domestic violence, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.