Brandon Marshall addresses past with sexual assault, domestic violence
Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall held a press conference Thursday to discuss sexual assault, domestic violence and his history with both subjects.
On Wednesday, lawyer Gloria Allred held her own press conference stating that the NFL ignored Brandon Marshall's domestic violence incidents in 2007 and 2008.
Marshall took the podium Thursday to speak out against the culture of domestic violence in the NFL and his past history.
The Bears receiver began his press conference by telling members of the media that his mother was sexually abused when Marshall was a child.
Marshall then focused his criticism towards the media, singling out ESPN for portraying him in an unfair light.
The ninth-year pro distributed an information guide to the media, and refuted Allred's allegations.
Packet Brandon Marshall handed out to media pic.twitter.com/wTZs8bmT1T
— Zach Zaidman (@ZachZaidman) September 18, 2014
"I would love to see how much money she's donated to some of these causes," Marshall said.
Marshall: "We need to get all the details before we can play judge or jury because there are two sides to every story."
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 18, 2014
"Domestic violence is wrong. I believe there should be consequences. I believe in that."
Marshall added that he believes in second chances.
Marshall: "[Domestic violence] is not a problem [only] in the NFL. This is an epidemic in our world."
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 18, 2014
Bears general manager Phil Emery released a statement Wednesday, offering his full support of Marshall:
"We were aware of his personal background when we traded for him in 2012 and equally aware of the tremendous efforts he made to bring positive changes in his life and in the lives of all the people around him. Since his arrival, Brandon has thrived in an environment that has been supportive.
"He has been a very positive, thoughtful and proactive leader and role model. He has acknowledged his past struggles and shared his story in an effort to help others improve their daily lives.
"Brandon has been at the forefront of mental health awareness and has extended himself in an unprecedented way to help fellow players across the NFL.
"He has helped himself through helping others and we are proud to have him as a teammate."
The five-time Pro Bowler will be looking to make an impact against the Jets on Monday night.