Michael Irvin
Marriott Video Released …
Ex-NFL Star Seen Talking W/ Accuser, Touching Elbow
3/14/2023 10:52 AM PT
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
The video of Michael Irvin and his sexual misconduct accuser was finally released Tuesday … and the footage shows the ex-NFL star had a fairly lengthy conversation with the woman — touching her twice on the elbow — before leaving.
Irvin’s attorney, Levi McCathern, shared a copy of the Marriott vid at a news conference with reporters … after obtaining the clip following a weekslong legal battle with the hotel chain over it.
Michael Irvin Files Scathing Lawsuit Against Misconduct Accuser, Seeking $100 Mil
In the video, which was captured at the Phoenix, Ariz. establishment on Feb. 5, you can see Irvin and the hotel employee initially began talking right at the entrance of the bar area, shaking hands — before moving a few feet away into the lobby.
Irvin and the woman can be seen in the footage chatting for over a minute. Twice during their interaction, Irvin touches the woman’s elbow. A short time later, the two shake hands, and then the woman walks away. The entire interaction seemed unremarkable.
Irvin can then be seen in the video appearing to slap himself on the cheek three times. He then walks over to take a selfie with a man that McCathern believes is an employee of the hotel. Following the picture, Irvin walks out of the camera’s view.
In court documents filed last week, Marriott claims the woman said that during the conversation with Irvin, the former football player asked her “whether she knew anything about having a ‘big Black man inside of [her].'”
After the video was shown, Irvin denied making any such comment — saying, “I don’t speak like that. I’ve never spoken like that. I totally deny saying that.”
He added that their convo was simply about football and the TV shows that he’s on.
“We used to say in football, ‘The eye in the sky don’t tell no lie,'” he said. “It’s just the truth.”
FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth
McCathern, meanwhile, said he believes the video shows Irvin’s accuser was “happy as a lark” during their conversation. He speculated that another employee in the area may have been upset with her for communicating with Irvin while on the job.
“There’s no doubt from watching this, this woman is not offended,” McCathern said. “This is not a sexual assault. This isn’t sexual harassment. This isn’t sexual misconduct.”
McCathern refiled his $100 million lawsuit against Marriott and others involved in the allegations against Irvin in Arizona on Tuesday morning … after he said he wanted to make sure he was suing “the right people.”
The case remains ongoing.