An attorney for former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin says he will be releasing a video of his client interacting with an Arizona hotel employee next week, most likely on Monday, as new details of the accusations against the Pro Football Hall of Famer are released in court filings.
Irvin's legal team filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Marriott International after Irvin was sidelined from Super Bowl duties as a sports commentator in the wake of an allegation of misconduct from a hotel employee in Phoenix.
Irvin's attorney, Levi McCathern, described the video this week during a news conference, saying the encounter between Irvin and the woman referred to as "Jane Doe" in the lawsuit lasted less than two minutes and said nothing inappropriate happened.
A federal judge in Dallas on Friday ordered Marriot to give Irvin's legal team video of the encounter "without modification."
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Meanwhile, Marriot filed a motion Friday in federal court asking the judge to protect the privacy and safety of its hotel employees and guests by preventing the video's release to the public.
"Contrary to Irvin's and his counsel's public statements, the facts will ultimately show that Irvin made unwelcome sexual advances against a female employee of the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown hotel, an employee who did not know who Irvin was and who, in reporting his despicable behavior, sought nothing more than to be free from further harassment," Marriott's attorneys wrote in Friday's motion.
In his lawsuit, Irvin said he returned to the hotel, he briefly greeted, shook hands and talked with several fans, including the woman, for a few minutes before going to his room alone. The lawsuit claims a hotel manager reported “false information” to the NFL, accusing Irvin of improper behavior toward a hotel employee. Irvin was then “shockingly woken up by a crew of security” and removed from the hotel “without any explanation or questions,” the lawsuit said.
McCathern complained that Marriott has not adequately provided him with video footage of the encounter. McCathern said he was allowed to watch a short video in Marriott's attorney offices on Tuesday but was not allowed to take a copy or make one.
Marriot International has not yet responded to NBC 5's requests for comment.
