What Is Michael Irvin Misconduct Issue: Witnesses & Defamation Lawsuit Explained

After being accused of inappropriate behavior by a lady in a hotel lobby, Michael Irvin was removed from NFL Network’s coverage of the Super Bowl. However, two purported witnesses are now rushing to the Hall of Famer’s defense.

Witnesses Tell Story Defending Michael Irvin After Allegations Of Misconduct

Australia-born Phil Watkins, who was in Arizona on Thursday, told TMZ Sports that he observed and heard the 56-year-old Irvin and his claimed accuser’s exchange, which he described as “good” and “pleasant.”

Watkins claims that while Michael was staying at a hotel, he was hanging out with his friends and posing for pictures with the Hall of Famer. The witness claims that when they entered, Irvin was attempting to proceed to the elevator when he was accosted by a lady.

This is the lady who made the accusation against Irvin, according to those close to him.

Watkins was questioned about what he witnessed.

“It was a positive, friendly conversation. They had a brief interaction, it was 30, 40 seconds, he kept his distance at all times, stood about a meter away from her, they ended with a handshake and he literally turned around and went to the lift.”

We doubled down, asking if there was anything that could’ve been interpreted as being improper.

“Not at all. Not at all. There was a little bit of laughter. Obviously a jovial conversation. Nothing untoward for me to actually take notice of what was going on,” Watkins said.

We also talked to a second alleged witness, Bryn Davis from Philadelphia, who echoed Watkins’ story.“We walked back to go into the bar, [Irvin] went straight to go to his hotel room, and I guess somebody that worked there, I don’t know if it was a waitress or a bartender I guess came up and said, ‘Hey Michael Irvin.’ And he said, ‘Oh, nice to meet you, I’m Michael’ and shook her hand.”“The crazy part was it was like a 30-second interaction. It could’ve been a minute. I didn’t really think much of it ’cause it was just a fan kind of thing.”Later in the week, Davis says he was in shock when he read Michael had been accused of misconduct because they’d just taken a photo together. But, then he says he realized he’d witnessed the alleged incident and was shocked“I woke up I guess this morning and saw this thing that said, ‘Michael Irvin [misconduct]’, and I was like, God, I just took a picture with that guy, I can’t believe it.’ and then I read it and it was from the night I was there and I was like, this is baffling, cause I saw it and I never witnessed something like that happen before.”We asked Davis if anything he saw would explain Irvin being booted from NFLN.“That’s why this morning I felt sick when I saw it because it’s the first time I was ever, had firsthand experience where something like that happened that was just fabricated. It was a totally normal conversation.”“And the bar was relatively packed. It was a quick conversation in a crowded area. He went on his way and I never thought about it again.”Davis also explained why he’s decided to speak out.“I’ll say this, man. I’m from Philadelphia. I grew up and Michael was our enemy. But he’s a super, super, super nice guy, and that’s why I felt like I needed to say something only because he’s a good dude and to have that happen and have your livelihood or career taken is crazy. It’s not fair so it was worth coming out and saying something.”

Michael Irvin Files A Defamation Lawsuit

A “Jane Doe” and Marriott International, Inc. are the targets of the complaint, which was submitted on Thursday in Collin County, Texas. International Marriott declined to respond.

Michael Irvin, a former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has filed a defamation lawsuit demanding $100 million in damages. He claims a female employee at a Phoenix hotel unjustly accused him of misbehavior.

Irvin said in his complaint that after arriving back at the hotel, he quickly welcomed, shook hands with, and spoke with a number of admirers, including the woman, for a short period of time before retiring to his room by himself.

The complaint asserts that a hotel manager sent the NFL with “false information” accusing Irvin of inappropriate conduct with a hotel employee.

In a brief radio interview earlier in the week, Michael expressed his “complete perplexity” about the circumstance.When we contacted the police to find out if an investigation had been opened, they sent us to the NFL.Irvin was slated to serve as one of the faces of Super Bowl LVII coverage on the NFL Network.

 

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