Darius Philon Cut By Cardinals Following Arrest & Strip Club Gun-Pointing Incident

BY Erika Marie 1.9K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Darius Philon
It all stems from an incident that went down in May.

The NFL has often been criticized for their leniency in disciplinary actions when their players have troublesome run-ins with the law. However, the Arizona Cardinals didn't hesitate to release defensive end Darius Philon after he was arrested last Friday. According to a police report obtained by TMZ, the 25-year-old professional football player was involved in an incident back in May at the VLive strip club.

The report states that it was a little after 2:00 a.m. when Philon was in the parking lot of the club. He asked two dancers to walk him to his BMW where he claimed he stashed his cash. Things took a turn when they arrived at his vehicle because, according to the alleged victim, Philon took out a gun and pointed it at her chest and asked, "Which one of you wants a bullet?"

He reportedly did lower the gun, but not before repeating the process once again. The woman ran back into the club while Philon left without further incident. In a surprise move, Philon came back to the club the next evening because he "wanted to make things right." The dancer said he attempted to coax her to leave with him, but she told him no. He wasn't satisfied with that answer and when she tried walking away from him, he grabbed her by the arm. She told the police that she eventually was able to get out of his grasp, but he proceeded to follow her around the club for 30 minutes before making his exit.

The alleged victim admitted to waiting a few weeks before filing a report with the police. It wasn't until last Friday that Philon was arrested. The Cardinals promptly released Philon from his two-year, $10 million contract. He was in his fifth season with the NFL.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.