Marriott International has released its account of the alleged sexual misconduct football analyst Michael Irvin and a female employee on February 5 at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown.
The hotel chain’s detailed account comes in response to Irvin’s $100 million defamation lawsuit he filed after being accused of inappropriate behavior that resulted in NFL Network and ESPN suspending him from covering the 2023 Super Bowl, USA Today
reported.According to the hotel’s 28-page report released Friday, a video shows the Pro Football Hall of Famer flagging down the accuser on the night in question. Irvin “appeared to be visibly intoxicated,” the report states, and was aggressive toward the employee.
The former Dallas Cowboys receiver is accused of shaking her hand, telling her she was attractive, and asking her if she watched football.
“Irvin also 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],” the lawsuit says.
“Irvin then attempted to grab the Victim’s hand again and said he was ‘sorry if he brought up bad memories’ for her,'” it continued.
“The Victim pulled her hand away and tried to back away from Irvin as he continued to move toward her.”
The accuser reported the incident to her manager the next day. The hotel claims the NFL asked to report if anyone its block of rooms caused any issues.
Since this account, Irvin refiled his defamation lawsuit in Arizona and names four hotel employees as well as Marriott., Fox 4 reported. Irvin also released surveillance footage from the night in question and hopes it will prove his innocence.“Here’s the truth. We used to say when we played football ‘the eye in the sky don’t tell no lie’, it’s just the truth,” he said during a press conference Tuesday.
“We talk and tell lies, but the eye in the sky don’t tell no lie.”