Antonio Brown's Biggest Scandals

Antonio Brown is one of the most successful and influential NFL players of the 2010s. Brown, frequently referred to by his initials, AB, started his professional career after an exemplary college football performance at Central Michigan University. Brown's performance led him to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft. Brown was born in Miami, Florida, in July 1988. AB is the son of retired Arena Football League star Eddie "Touchdown" Brown, named the best player in the league's history in 2006.

Brown's contributions to the NFL have earned him a place among the league's elite. His exceptional athleticism, agility, and uncanny ability to make pivotal plays have made him a household name in American football. Brown has earned seven Pro Bowl selections, four first-team All-Pro recognitions, and multiple seasons leading the NFL in receiving yards and receptions. AB spent nine seasons with the Steelers. He has also played for the New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The wide receiver announced his short-lived retirement in March 2023 and reportedly unretired in April 2023.

Antonio Brown has also managed to achieve success off the field. According to several news outlets, Brown is the majority owner of the Albany Empire. He has also been the president of Kanye West's Donda Sports since February 2022. However, like Kanye's, AB's career and personal life have been controversial. For several years now, Brown's news coverage has mostly been negative. These scandals have significantly marred the pro player's public image. Here is a list of Antonio Brown's biggest scandals.

Antonio Brown made news headlines on January 17, 2023. His Snapchat account was suspended following the posting of an explicit photo. This latest controversy was an image that depicted a woman performing oral sex on him. The explicit content violated Snapchat's community guidelines, prohibiting adult content sharing. The incident provoked a wave of criticism from his social media followers, further stoking the debate about Brown's personal conduct.

On December 1, 2022, Antonio Brown found himself in the news headlines once again when Tampa police attempted to serve him with an arrest warrant. The warrant was related to domestic violence charges from an incident with his ex-fiancée on November 28. According to reports, Brown allegedly threw a shoe at his former partner during an argument. Brown also allegedly threw her belongings in the street and threatened to shoot her if she returned to the house. News sources say that Brown's children were in the house at the time of the incident. The charges brought further attention to the pattern of Brown's off-field controversies, further overshadowing his accomplishments on the football field.

Several sports news outlets reported on October 1, 2022, that Brown had allegedly exposed himself to a woman at the Armani Hotel in Dubai. The incident was said to have taken place on May 14, 2022. It also allegedly involved Brown becoming physical with a female guest in the hotel's pool area. The claims added to the string of legal issues and questionable behavior Brown has faced off the field.

Antonio Brown and his trainer were arrested on charges of felony burglary and battery on January 2020. News sources reported that Brown allegedly had an altercation with a moving truck driver outside Brown's residence in Hollywood, Florida. According to the police report, Brown and his trainer assaulted the driver following a dispute over payment for the delivery. TMZ reported that Brown owes the driver $407,000 for his medical expenses. AB also allegedly owes the driver under $800,000 for emotional damage.

Antonio Brown's news was dominated by allegations that significantly impacted his career in September 2019. Brown's former trainer, Britney Taylor, accused him of sexual assault and rape. This led to a civil lawsuit filed on September 10, 2019. Another woman also accused Brown of sexual misconduct around the same time.

This incident, extensively covered by news outlets, severely damaged Brown's public image. The gravity of these accusations led to his release from the New England Patriots on September 20, 2019. Brown had only played one game with the team.

Brown was released from the Oakland Raiders in September 2019. The tipping point came when Brown had a heated exchange with general manager Mike Mayock during a practice session. This led to a fine for conduct detrimental to the team. Brown took to social media on September 7, 2019, to request his release from the Raiders following the confrontation. His request was granted later that day, ending his brief, controversial tenure with the team. The incident incentivized news outlets to further scrutinize Brown's undeniable talent and increasingly disruptive off-field behavior.

Antonio Brown was in the news headlines once again in August 2019. Brown insisted on wearing his old helmet. His helmet was, however, no longer approved for use by the NFL due to updated safety regulations. His refusal led to multiple missed practices during his brief tenure with the Oakland Raiders. The situation reportedly escalated to AB threatening to retire from the NFL if he could not use his preferred helmet. The helmet controversy would later be considered one of the contributing factors to his eventual release from the Raiders.

Brown did not report to the Steelers facility for work on September 17, 2018. The incident resulted in disciplinary action from the team. His no-show, reportedly unconnected to any injury, sparked a flurry of speculation about his commitment to the Steelers. The occurrence marked a crucial juncture in Antonio Brown's news coverage and narrative. It also added to the growing list of off-field distractions associated with the talented receiver.

Antonio Brown's first documented controversy as a pro-NFL player came in January 2017. Brown shared a live video on Facebook from the Steelers' locker room following a significant playoff victory against the Kansas City Chiefs. AB's actions breached the NFL's social media policy. This incident attracted widespread criticism for exposing private team moments and conversations to the public. News outlets extensively covered this event, casting a spotlight on the wide receiver's judgment and respect for team privacy.