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The NFL Network recently found themselves embroiled in controversy with former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin over allegations of inappropriate behavior towards a female. Irvin was accused by an employee at a Marriott hotel while he was there for Super Bowl week in Arizona. The Pro Football Hall of Famer denied the claims and sued for defamation.
For some fans, it is a reminder of what allegedly happened to Jami Cantor, a former stylist for the network. According to TMZ, Cantor was "subjected to ongoing and continuing sexual harassment by current and former on-air talent." After being let go from her position in 2016, Cantor filed a wrongful termination suit against seven employees in October 2017.
These employees included Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Warren Sapp.
Cantor complained to the network, who informed her that the actions were "part of the job" due to the way she looked, according to Bloomberg. Per TMZ, Faulk allegedly sought personal information regarding Cantor's sex life. Bloomberg also reports that the former NFL running back supposedly groped Cantor sexually.
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Three others were named in Cantor's lawsuit, former NFL players Ike Taylor and Heath Evans, and NFL Network executive Eric Weinberger. All three supposedly took sexually explicit pictures of themselves and sent them to Cantor.
Another allegation named in Cantor's lawsuit is that Sapp entered a restroom Cantor was preparing clothes in and allegedly urinated while she was still there. He's also accused of gifting Cantor sex toys for three Christmases in a row.
Former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb was accused of sending inappropriate text messages to the then-stylist. One of the messages sent by NcNabb said that she "looked like the kind of girl that sq***ted when getting f**ked."
Faulk, Sapp, Evans, Weinberger, Taylor, and McNabb were eventually let go by the network. In November 2018, both Cantor and the network reached a settlement and she agreed to drop the claims. However, the network faced another sexual harassment claim as Irvin was at the center of that claim.
The NFL Network and a lawsuit involving Michael Irvin
Another sexual harassment lawsuit was filed in July 2018 by makeup artist Erin McParland. She claimed that Irvin had to be constantly told to keep his hands off of her. McParland penned a first-person account of her time at the NFL Network for Sports Illustrated. In one part, she talks about Irvin and his alleged behavior toward her:
McParland said:
"Once, on the set of GameDay, he grabbed my waist while I was powdering him on set during a commercial break. I was mortified. Not only was this unwanted attention not acceptable, I was worried that everyone witnessing this might believe I thought this was okay. Or worse—welcomed."
The status of Irvin's current lawsuit is that it's still ongoing as it seems far from over. The three-time Super Bowl winner was pulled from the NFL Network's Super Bowl coverage as a result.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Sports Illustrated and H/T Sportskeeda.
