Nike Ends Endorsement Deal With Antonio Brown Following Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Nike announced Thursday it is dropping New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown following sexual assault accusations by his personal trainer.

The Boston Globe quoted a spokesperson for the company as saying, “Brown is not a Nike athlete.” This comes after a lawsuit was filed in federal court Sept. 10 by gymnast and personal trainer, Britney Taylor, who accused Brown of sexually assaulting her in 2017 and 2018.

“We don’t get into specifics of sports marketing relationships,” the Nike spokesperson said about the decision.

Following the announcement, Nike pulled the Nike Tech Trainer “Antonio Brown” from its website, listing the shoes as “no longer available.” The sneakers were originally released in February 2019.

It’s the second endorsement deal Brown lost in the wake of the lawsuit. Football helmet maker Xenith announced in a Saturday press release it would be ending its “relationship” with Brown and he wouldn’t be wearing the Xenith Shadow during the 2019-20 NFL season.

Brown has denied the sexual assault allegations.

“He will pursue all legal remedies to not only clear his name, but to also protect other professional athletes against false accusations,” Brown’s lawyer, Darren Heitner, said in a statement.