Surveillance video of Michael Irvin's conversation with hotel employee released
Marriott claims Irvin made the employee 'visibly uncomfortable' with sexual remark
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lawyers for Michael Irvin have released surveillance video from his conversation with a female hotel employee in which she and her employer are alleging misconduct.
The video, obtained by Fox News Digital, appears to show the Hall of Fame receiver chatting with the woman for around two minutes before the two shook hands and went their separate ways.
The two initially shake hands before entering the hotel bar, and, throughout the conversation, Irvin appeared to touch her elbow twice.
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Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin watches a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams at CenturyLink Field Oct. 3, 2019, in Seattle. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Irvin and the employee again shook hands, and she went back inside the bar. A few seconds later, Irvin appeared to slap himself in the face three times before walking toward the main entrance to take a selfie with somebody, and then back toward the lobby.
The video provides no audio, but Marriott claims that a "visibly intoxicated" Irvin made the employee "visibly uncomfortable" and asked her a sexually explicit question.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Irvin also reached out and touched the Victim’s arm during this conversation without her consent, causing her to step back, becoming visibly uncomfortable. Irvin then asked the Victim whether she knew anything about having a ‘big Black man inside of [her],’" Marriott said in the suit.
"Irvin then attempted to grab the Victim’s hand again and said he was ‘sorry if he brought up bad memories for her.’ The Victim pulled her hand away and tried to back away from Irvin as he continued to move towards her."
However, Irvin denied the conversation was ever inappropriate.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Michael Irvin of NFL Network during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium March 3, 2022 in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
"This sickens me because in this great country, this takes me back to a time where a White woman would accuse a Black man of something, and they would take a bunch of guys that were above the law, run in a barn, put a rope around his foot and drag him through the mud – and hang him by the tree," Irvin said. "Not a thought about what would happen, not investigation, not after repeated attempts of people trying to go and say, ‘Guys, here is what really happened.’
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"How can I defend myself if I don’t even know what I am defending myself against?" he added. "This just blows my mind that in 2023 we’re still dragging and hanging brothers by a tree. That blows my mind that I have no opportunity to defend – I don’t even know what I’m defending."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox 4 Dallas noted that Irvin and the female employee spoke about football and the shows Irvin works on. Irvin was at the hotel near State Farm Stadium on assignment for the Super Bowl. After the incident, he was removed from coverage by the NFL Network.
A couple of witnesses said there was nothing inappropriate about the interaction, with one saying it was "super friendly."
Michael Irvin attends the 2022 Harold and Carole Pump Foundation Gala at The Beverly Hilton Aug. 19, 2022, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There was nothing really untoward out of the interaction," Phil Watkins said, adding that the employee had approached Irvin. "Basically, I heard some laughter. I looked up, there was a few handshakes. There was some more laughter, and they went their separate ways."
Irvin filed a $100 million lawsuit against the employee and Marriott after the allegations.
Fox News' Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.