Irvin Countersues Over Rape Claim
The alleged incident occurred in July 2007
By JANIE CAMPBELL
Updated 1:25 AM EDT, Sun, Feb 7, 2010
Former Miami Hurricanes and Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin is fighting back against a woman who accused him in a lawsuit of rape.
The woman's lawsuit, filed yesterday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., accused The Playmaker of sexually assaulting her at a South Florida hotel in July 2007.
Irvin's attorney, Larry Friedman, called the lawsuit "civil extortion" and filed a countersuit against the woman claiming, among other things, civil extortion and defamation.
"This is nothing more than a weak attempt to extort a celebrity with baseless salacious allegations,'' Irvin's countersuit read, saying the woman's allegations will cause 'the destruction of an innocent man's hard earned career.''
It also accused her of picking this week, when Irvin would be working the Super Bowl, to capitalize on the attention.
The woman's Florida attorney did not immediately respond Friday to a phone call and e-mail seeking comment.
Irvin is now an analyst for the NFL Network and will be on the air this weekend, NFL Network spokesman Dennis Johnson said in an e-mail. He said the NFL security department is looking into the allegations.
Until Friday, the Fort Lauderdale native and NFL Hall of Famer also hosted a radio show in the Dallas-Fort Worth market on ESPN. That contract was terminated today, although the network said the decision was made before the lawsuit surfaced.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Miami
First Published: Feb 6, 2010 7:17 AM EDT
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