New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick cut short his weekly press conference on Wednesday after refusing to discuss the allegations against newly signed star player Antonio Brown.
"On Antonio's situation, both Antonio and his representatives have made statements, so I'm not going to be expanding on any of those. They are what they are," the famously tight-lipped Belichick told reporters at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
"We've looked into the situation; we've taken it very seriously all the way through the organization. I'm sure there are questions, but I'm not going to be able to entertain any discussion about that today."
Even though the coach said he wouldn't discuss the team's new wide receiver, that didn't stop reporters from peppering him with questions about Brown.
Asked if he had any warnings about the lawsuit filed by Taylor before the Patriots signed Brown, Belichick said, "I'm not going to be expanding on the statements that have already been given."
The Patriots will hit the road to play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, and Belichick insisted on discussing the upcoming game — but got no takers.
"I'm done with that, OK? Anything else on Miami?" he said, moments before dashing off stage and ending the 3 1/2-minute-long press conference.
Brown, 31, was accused of sexual assault, including forcible rape, by his former trainer in the federal lawsuit filed in Florida on Tuesday.
The lawsuit alleges that he hired gymnast Britney Taylor, whom he knew from when he attended Central Michigan University, as his personal trainer in June 2017.
Taylor, 28, said Brown sexually assaulted her twice in June 2017 and then again in May 2018. One of the alleged assaults in 2017 occurred at Brown's home in Pittsburgh, according to the lawsuit.
Darren Heitner, an attorney for Brown, denied all accusations against his client in a statement Tuesday evening.
"Mr. Brown denies each and every allegation in the lawsuit," Heitner said in a statement. "He will pursue all legal remedies to not only clear his name, but to also protect other professional athletes against false accusations."
