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Michael Irvin was accused by a female employee of misconduct at a Marriott hotel in Phoenix during Super Bowl week last month. In a win for Irvin, a federal judge ordered Marriott to give his legal team a video of the interaction between the Hall of Fame wide receiver and the female employee "without modification."
Marriott also filed a motion in federal court asking the judge to shield the privacy and safety of its hotel employees and guests by stopping the release of the video to the public.
Irvin's attorney, Levi McCathern, protested that Marriott had not fully supplied him with video footage of the encounter. McCathern said he was permitted to view a short video in Marriott's attorney's office, but couldn't get a copy or make one.
McCathern spoke to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News about the accusations against his client and commented on when the video will be released.
“Marriott’s recently-created account goes against all the eyewitnesses and Michael’s own testimony as well as common sense. We will release the video next week. There is no sexual assault. The fact Marriott is taking the position that it is is an insult to all of the true female victims out there.”
Marriott claims that Michael Irvin “flagged down” the employee as she walked from the bar area into the lobby. The three-time Super Bowl winner supposedly asked her about her work, said he found her attractive, shook her hand, and introduced himself. Two Marriott employees claimed to have noticed that their female co-worker seemed uneasy.
Why did Michael Irvin file a lawsuit against Marriott?
NFL Network analyst, Irvin filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Marriott International following his removal from Super Bowl obligations as a sports commentator due to the employee's allegations.
In his lawsuit, Michael Irvin stated that he went back to the hotel and greeted a couple of fans, including the woman, for a few minutes before going to his room by himself. The lawsuit asserts that a hotel manager reported “false information” to the NFL, accusing Irvin of improper behavior towards a hotel employee.
Per his lawsuit, the Dallas Cowboys star was then “shockingly woken up by a crew of security” and taken out of the hotel 'without any explanation or questions'. The video will be released by Michael Irvin's legal team and will give a much clearer account of the controversy.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Pro Football Talk, NBC5 Dallas - Fort Worth, and H/T Sportskeeda.
