Antonio Brown is countersuing Britney Taylor for defamation and interference with his NFL contracts and endorsements, according to documents obtained Wednesday by ESPN.
Brown, the subject of an NFL investigation over Taylor's allegations of rape and sexual assault, is denying the accusations against him and requesting a jury trial.
Taylor had served Brown with a lawsuit in Florida's Broward County Circuit Court on Nov. 1 and gave him 45 days to respond.
In that response, Brown said his sexual relationship with Taylor was always consensual and that Taylor attempted to secure a $1.65 million investment from Brown for her gymnastics business shortly after he signed a $72 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the documents state.
Brown signed a confidentiality agreement with Taylor on March 8 while "under duress," the documents state. Two days later, Brown was traded from the Steelers to the Oakland Raiders as part of a three-year, $54 million extension. The countersuit claims Taylor's "false accusations" earlier this year affected his business dealings of which she had previous knowledge while spending significant time with him in 2017 and 2018, including working as his trainer for a period of time.
The wide receiver says the confidentiality agreement precludes him from discussing "a number of relevant events" that he deems essential to the case. The document states that Taylor met with NFL investigators for 10 hours, "however, when asked to waive the terms of the confidentiality agreement so that both she and Brown could testify freely, she refused."
As a result, Brown will be amending his countersuit to reflect civil conspiracy, the document states.
Brown's attorney, Camille Blanton, provided a statement to ESPN Thursday in which she said Brown "anticipates that discovery in this case will uncover additional facts and information that will potentially expand the scope of his counterclaims."
In the original lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Taylor accuses Brown of sexually assaulting her on three occasions in 2017 and 2018. That suit was refiled in Broward County.
Prior to that suit's filing, Brown and Taylor had entered into settlement talks, with sources telling ESPN's Jeff Darlington that Brown declined to sign a $2 million-plus agreement.
Brown and Taylor knew each other at Central Michigan before Brown entered the NFL draft in 2010, and the documents state the two had cursory communication from then until 2017.
"In summary, after enduring a failed business endeavor and also failing to gain the relationship status she desired with Brown, Taylor began a vicious campaign of lies and deceit targeting Brown both personally and professionally," Brown's filing states. "Taylor's acts have all but ruined Brown's career, causing him to lose a number of substantial and lucrative business contracts, and impacting the public persona in such a manner as to cause Brown and his family significant personal and financial harm."
The NFL, which interviewed Brown last week as part of its investigation, is aware of the filing, according to a source.
Taylor's attorney, David Haas, said his client will "not be bullied."
"Today, Antonio Brown countersued the woman he raped and blamed her for the self-destructive conduct that led to the demise of his NFL career," Haas said in a statement. "In the past, Defendant Brown has used intimidation to avoid responsibility for his actions. However, Ms. Taylor will not be bullied and remains steadfast in holding Defendant Brown accountable."
Brown is out of the league as troubles continue to follow him. After Taylor's suit surfaced in September, Brown also was accused of sexual misconduct at his home by an artist who was working there in 2017.
He was released by the Raiders for conduct detrimental to the team and signed with the New England Patriots, who released him after one game.
Brown is trying to get back into the league, and he publicly apologized to Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Tuesday for all the drama he caused.