Broner plead guilty to assault and unlawful restraint in a criminal case this April.
[CW: This story details an incident of sexual assault]
WCPO (via Associated Press) reports that multiple world champion boxer Adrien Broner, 29, is now the subject of a civil lawsuit from a woman who says he sexually assaulted her at a Cleveland nightclub in June 2018.
The plaintiff, 35, claims that Broner pinned her on a couch and kissed her against her will. The woman claims she tried to push Broner away from her, but he only relented after a camera flashed in their direction.
The plaintiff went to police after the incident, which lead to Broner being indicted on sexual imposition, assault, and unlawful restraint charges. He plead guilty to assault and unlawful restraint in April and was sentenced to probation.
Broner’s attorney in that criminal case, Ian Friedman, stated that the lawsuit’s claims are baseless and that his client is being targeted for an “easy payday.”
Broner currently holds a professional record of 33-4-1 1 NC. He is a former WBO junior lightweight, WBC lightweight, WBA welterweight, and WBA light welterweight title holder. He is consistently ranked among one of the top pound-for-pound active boxers on the planet. His most recent contest was a unanimous decision loss to Manny Pacquiao on January 19th, 2019.
Over his career Broner has been involved in a number of controversial and criminal incidents. This March international headlines reported that Broner had threatened to ‘shoot gay men in the face’ during a homophobic rant on instagram (per Independent).
A few months before that incident, Broner was arrested in Atlanta for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in a shopping mall. Other incidents involving Broner include an arrest in 2017 for driving an SUV riddled with bullet holes and accusations he choked a waitress in a Vegas night club in 2016.
Survivors of sexual assault can find support via the following organizations:
US – Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)’s National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). RAINN also has an online chat service.
Love is Respect, 1-866-331-9474. They can also be reached via online chat or by texting LOVEIS to 22522.
End Rape on Campus (EROC), 1-424-777-EROC (3762).
Canada – Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, 1-877-232-2610.
UK – UK Says No More.
Rest of the World – International Rape Crisis Hotlines.