Giants kicker Josh Brown detailed domestic violence in documents

ByJordan Raanan ESPN logo
Thursday, October 20, 2016

New York Giants kicker Josh Brown admitted to domestic violence in letters, emails and a journal, according to police documents.

The documents were part of Brown's final case file by the King County (Washington) Sheriff's Office stemming from a May 22, 2015, arrest following an incident with his wife, Molly Brown. The sheriff's office and prosecutor's office initially decided to postpone the filing of charges, pending further investigation, with the sheriff's office recommending that the prosecutor's office file charges of two counts of fourth-degree domestic assault. As of September 2016, charges had not been filed.

In one of Brown's journal entries obtained as part of the investigation, he writes: "I have abused my wife."

The Giants were unaware of Brown's journal entries, emails and letters admitting domestic violence, according to a team spokesman. They had not read or heard about them before their release on Wednesday.

An NFL Players Association source told ESPN's Jane McManus on Thursday that the union was not aware of Brown's journals that admitted abuse before they were revealed to the media.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr., who watched his mother suffer abuse when he was a child, took to Twitter to blast Brown and wrote, "what a shame NFL acts like it cares." Smith Sr. also has called out former Carolina Panthers teammate Greg Hardy in the past for his comments on domestic violence.

Molly Brown told police that he had been physically violent with her in more than 20 instances during the past several years.

In the police documents released Wednesday, Brown admitted he "had been a liar for most of my life." He claimed to have a porn addiction and having been abusive to women all the way back to the age of 7, after being molested as a young boy.

"I objectified women and never really worried about the pain and hurt I caused them," Brown wrote in an email.

There was also a 2013 "Contract for Change" signed by Brown, his wife and counselor Jerry Price. Item No. 2 states that Josh Brown had physically, verbally and emotionally abused Molly.

In a letter to friends in 2014 that Josh Brown warned would be hard to read, he admitted to carrying an overwhelming sense of entitlement. He said he viewed himself as God and that Molly was basically his slave.

In one journal entry, Brown wrote that he has "physically, mentally, emotionally and verbally been a repulsive man." Several sentences later, he said he abused his wife. He also detailed his "arrogant and manipulative thinking and possessiveness."

In another journal entry, Brown wrote that his wife filed for divorce because he was abusive. He listed losing his marriage and "living with the reputation of an abuser" as fears of his.

The Giants re-signed Brown during the offseason to a two-year, $4 million deal. The team has supported him despite the arrest and allegations, withGiants co-owner John Mara saying in August: "I believe all the facts and circumstances, and we were comfortable with our decision to re-sign him."

It is not clear if the Giants or the NFL were aware of his written admissions provided by police and publicized Wednesday. In a follow-up report filed by the King County Sheriff's department, Molly did indicate that the league was aware of one incident involving her husband. She told police that Brown invited her and her children to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii in January. He said that she would have a separate room.

At some point, Molly Brown told police that Brown showed up "drunk and was pounding on her door to let in. Molly refused to let Josh in, and eventually had to call NFL and hotel security. Josh was escorted away from Molly's room and the NFL ended up having to put Molly and the kids up in a different hotel room where Josh would not where they were."

The league did suspend Brown forone game without payin Augustforviolating its personal conduct policy, and he sat out the Giants' season opener.

The NFL's domestic violence policy establishes a six-game baseline for first offenses but allows for aggravating circumstances that can make the suspension longer or mitigating circumstances that can make it shorter.

Brown and the NFL Players Association argued that there should be no suspension, but the NFL determined that the one incident about which the original report was filed required it to act.

In 2001, Brown pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault charges when he was a junior at Nebraska after getting into a fight with a man dating Brown's ex-girlfriend, who was thrown to the ground by Brown in the scuffle, according to an Associated Press report.The assault resulted in a suspension for Nebraska's 2001 season opener and a $350 fine, according to a Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal-Star report.

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