UPDATED 10/25/16, 12:55 p.m. ET:
Josh Brown released a statement on Tuesday morning and claimed that he has never "struck" his ex-wife while referencing the domestic violence allegations made against him. You can read his statement, which was first obtained by ESPN, here:
"I am sorry that my past has called into question the character or integrity of The New York Giants, Mr. Mara or any of those who have supported me along the way. I have taken measures to get help so that I may be the voice of change, not a statistic. It is important to share that I never struck my wife, and never would. Abuse takes many forms, and is not a gray area. Through the past several years I have worked to identify and rectify my own behaviors. The road to rehabilitation is a journey and a constant modification of a way of life. My journey will continue forever as a person determined to leave a positive legacy and I embrace the opportunities to show and speak about what has helped me to be that man. In the interim, I am cooperating with the Giants and the NFL. Thank you to everyone that has supported me, I will not let you down."
A short time after that statement was released, the Giants announced they were releasing Brown:
UPDATED 10/20/16, 5:20 p.m. ET:
The NFL has responded to the news about Josh Brown's letters, emails, and journal entries by releasing a statement. In the statement, the league claims it was not allowed access to these documents before making a decision regarding Brown's suspension prior to the current season. The NFL is now considering punishing Brown further:
A spokesman for the Giants also told Bleacher Report that the team had not seen the documents before this week:
Additionally, the Giants organization issued a statement.
"Josh Brown will not travel with the team to London," the team wrote. "In light of the news reports regarding the documents released by the State of Washington yesterday, we think it makes sense to review this newly disclosed information and to revisit this issue following our trip to London. The Giants do not condone or excuse any form of domestic violence. Josh has acknowledged that he has issues in his life and has been working on these issues through therapy and counseling for a long period of time. We remain supportive of Josh and his efforts."
See original story below.
New York Giants kicker Josh Brown, who was suspended for the first game of the 2016-17 NFL season after getting arrested on domestic violence-related charges in May 2015, reportedly admitted to prior domestic violence incidents in a series of letters, emails, and journal entries. According to police documents obtained by ESPN, Brown's ex-wife Molly gave the letters, emails, and journal entries to the King County (Washington) Sheriff's Office following her husband's arrest. He was charged with assault in the fourth degree/domestic violence at the time, but the charges were later dropped. However, Molly claimed that the 14-year NFL veteran had been violent with her more than 20 times over a span of several years at the time.
In one of the journal entries obtained by police, Brown reportedly wrote, "I have abused my wife." In another, he reportedly wrote about how he "had been a liar for most of my life." Brown also acknowledged an addiction to porn in his journal and wrote about how he had been abusive to women since he was 7, when he claims he was molested. He reportedly admitted that he has "physically, mentally, emotionally and verbally been a repulsive man" in another entry and wrote about how his wife had divorced him due to his physical assaults.
In emails Brown wrote to friends and family, he reportedly described his history with domestic violence. "I objectified women and never really worried about the pain and hurt I caused them," he said in one email. In another, sent in 2014, he said that he viewed himself as a "God" and his wife as a "slave" throughout their marriage.
Brown also signed a "Contract for Change" in 2013 that was also signed by Molly and their former marriage counselor. He admitted to physically, verbally, and emotionally abusing Molly in the contract.
It's unclear if the Giants or the NFL knew about any of this documentation prior to it being released on Wednesday, and neither organization has released a statement about the letters, emails, and journal entries yet.
