Playmaker benched: Michael Irvin pulled off-air, files $100M lawsuit

Former Cowboys wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion Michael Irvin was pulled off of the airwaves for this week’s Super Bowl coverage in Arizona. A woman complained of his conduct towards her on Sunday evening, and by Monday evening, his scheduled appearances for the week were cancelled.

The incident in question allegedly took place Sunday night when Irvin returned to the Renaissance hotel where he was staying after a night out with former Cowboys safety Michael Brooks. Michael Irvin recalls speaking to the female accuser, a hotel employee, for about a minute before shaking her hand and retiring to his room.

NFL Media Officials approached Irvin off-air after the Super Bowl Opening Night Ceremony on Monday night to discuss the allegations.

MICHAEL IRVIN’S RECOLLECTION

In an interview with Shan & RJ on 105.3 the fan, the Playmaker described his version of events. He explained that he was unclear on the details of the situation even as he was being made to move to a different hotel.

“And then they showed on camera I did talk to somebody. I talked to this girl for about a minute,” Irvin said, “They didn’t show [me the video]. They told me [that I was on video talking to her]. I don’t know what she looks like or anything. But that’s why they moved me. Because the girl said I said something to her in that minute we talked.”

https://omny.fm/shows/shan-and-rj/michael-irvin-previews-the-super-bowl?t=1m34s

The 56-year-old Hall of Famer works for NFL Media and occasionally makes guest appearances on ESPN. Irvin had scheduled appearances on NFL Network and ESPN’s First Take this week.

Both NFL Media and ESPN have released statements regarding Michael Irvin’s exclusion from scheduled programming. Neither organization, however, has disclosed the exact nature of the woman’s complaint or released details about what Irvin supposedly said to her.

Michael Irvin remains adamant that he committed no wrongdoing whatsoever. When talking with the Dallas Morning News, he said, “There was definitely nothing physical. … That’s honestly all that happened. Nobody was in my room. It was a 45-second conversation in the lobby, a handshake and we left. … I don’t know. I don’t know what this is, and it’s running me crazy.”

Neither Glendale police nor other local authorities were aware of any incident involving Irvin according to the Dallas Morning News report.

MICHAEL IRVIN’S $100 MILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST MARRIOT AND ACCUSER

As he works to clear his name, Michael Irvin is fighting back with a 9-figure lawsuit against his accuser and against Marriott, the parent company of Renaissance hotels.

According to TMZ Sports, the lawsuit mentions witnesses that can back Irvin’s claim that he engaged in a short and casual conversation before shaking hands with the accuser and going to his room.

The Cowboys legend says that the hotel and the accuser conspired to make him the next victim of “cancel culture.” The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, accuses the hotel manager of reporting the incident to the NFL “with the intention of damaging that relationship and canceling [Irvin].”

“Rash and thoughtless actions can have severe consequences,” the lawsuit reads, “Marriott [the parent company of Renaissance Hotels] apparently did not appreciate these simple truths when, in a rush to judgment, its employees and management inaccurately and inflammatorily accused Mr. Irvin of misconduct to the National Football League.”

Levi McCathern, Michael Irvin’s attorney, says that false allegations have damaged his client’s reputation and resulted in lost income due to cancelled appearances. As a result, they are seeking in excess of $100,000,000.00.

Due in part to increased appearances on ESPN’s First Take, Irvin has become increasingly popular as a football analyst. He has even criticized his own Dallas Cowboys. There is currently no estimated timeline for his return to airwaves.