Josh Brown Says He Never Physically Abused His Wife in New Statement

Former New York Giants kicker Josh Brown released a statement Tuesday claiming that he never struck his wife as the NFL's investigation into his domestic abuse situation continues. 

Adam Schefter of ESPN passed along Brown's full statement:

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I am sorry that my past has called into question the character or integrity of The New York Giants, Mr. Mara or any of those who have supported me along the way. I have taken measures to get help so that I may be the voice of change, not a statistic. It is important to share that I never struck my wife, and never would. Abuse takes many forms, and is not a gray area. Through the past several years I have worked to identify and rectify my own behaviors. The road to rehabilitation is a journey and a constant modification of a way of life. My journey will continue forever as a person determined to leave a positive legacy and I embrace the opportunities to show and speak about what has helped me to be that man. In the interim, I am cooperating with the Giants and the NFL. Thank you to everyone that has supported me, I will not let you down.

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Shortly after the statement, the Giants announced they had released Brown and provided a similar statement from the kicker:

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The road to rehabilitation is a journey and a constant modification of a way of life.  My journey will continue forever as a person determined to leave a positive legacy and I embrace the opportunities to show and speak about what has helped me to be that man.  I am sorry that my past has called into question the character or integrity of The New York Giants, Mr. Mara or any of those who have supported me along the way.  In the coming days and weeks I plan on telling more of the pain I had caused and the measures taken to get help so I may be the voice of change and not a statistic.  In the interim I am cooperating with the Giants and the NFL. Thank you to everyone that has supported me, I will not let you down. 

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The NFL originally suspended Brown one game for violating its personal conduct policy in August but didn't provide the specific reason for the ban. James Kratch of NJ Advance Media reported that the kicker had been arrested on a domestic violence charge in May 2015 which was later dropped.

The 37-year-old special teams contributor missed the team's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 11 before returning for the next five games.

The situation returned to the spotlight last Wednesday when Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post reported that the Kings County, Washington, Sheriff's Office released journal entries and documents in which Brown discussed "physically, emotionally and verbally" abusing his ex-wife, Molly Brown, as well as being a "sexual deviant."    

"I became an abuser and hurt Molly physically, emotionally and verbally," Brown wrote. "I viewed myself as God basically, and she was my slave. I carried an overwhelming sense of entitlement because I put money higher than God, and I used it as power tool."

Meanwhile, Giants co-owner John Mara told WFAN Radio's Mike Francesa last Thursday that Brown had revealed prior abuse to the organization (h/t Kratch): "He's admitted to us he's abused his wife in the past. But what I think is a little unclear is the extent of that."

Dianna Russini of ESPN provided pointed comments from Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz about the topic Tuesday afternoon:

The league placed Brown on the Reserve/Commissioner Exempt List last Friday as it reopened its investigation into the situation. In 2014, it announced a league mandate that called for a six-game suspension for a first domestic abuse offense.