Former Giants Kicker Josh Brown Speaks Out After Domestic Abuse Allegations

ABC News(NEW YORK) — Former New York Giants kicker Josh Brown is speaking out in an interview with Good Morning America that aired Thursday — the first time since he was released from the team after it emerged that he had admitted abusing his then-wife, Molly Brown.

In October 2016, a journal entry written by Brown was released in which he admitted to the abuse, saying, “I have physically, verbally and emotionally abused my wife Molly.”

When asked by ABC News’ Paula Faris what he meant by that, Brown said, “I mean I had put my hands on her. I kicked the chair. I held her down. The holding down was the worst moment in our marriage.

“I never hit her. I never slapped her. I never choked her,” Brown added. “I never did those types of things.”

“When you say that you physically abused her and physically harmed her, but you didn’t hit her,” Faris said. “How are people supposed to reconcile that, Josh?”

Brown said, “They’re not supposed to. What I did was wrong. Period.”

Brown told Faris he was “fully accountable” for everything he said and did in his marriage and makes no excuses.

“Domestic violence is not just physical abuse. We’re talking intimidation and threats, the attempt to control, body language,” he said. “An abuser is going to abuse to a certain degree to acquire some kind of a reaction.”

Although the New York Giants declined ABC News’ request for comment, team president John Mara said in a statement last October announcing Brown’s release, “We believed we did the right thing at every juncture in our relationship with Josh.” The Giants’ delay in releasing Brown from the team courted controversy for months.

“Our beliefs, our judgments and our decisions were misguided. We accept that responsibility,” Mara added. “We hope that Josh will continue to dedicate himself to rehabilitation and to becoming a better person and father. We will continue to support him in his efforts to continue counseling, and we hope that Josh and his family can find peace and a positive resolution.”

Neither the NFL nor Molly Brown immediately responded to ABC News’ request for comment.

At a press conference Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stood by the league’s policy on domestic violence and said there is an “active investigation” underway into Brown’s case.


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