Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin has won another ruling in his ongoing $100 million lawsuit against hotel chain Marriott International. Irvin countersued the hotel for defamation after an unnamed female employee accused him of alleged misconduct in the lobby of a Phoenix Marriott.
He later filed a motion for Marriott to release any video footage of the incident, which was granted by a judge. Marriott then filed a motion asking a federal judge to dismiss Irvin’s defamation lawsuit and requested a judge to deny Irvin’s request for expedited release of hotel video footage.
On Wednesday, a second district judge ordered Marriott to release the items and documents sought in Irvin’s request by Tuesday at 5 p.m. The judge ruled that Marriott can protect the identity of Irvin’s accuser, and said the hotel’s concern for her privacy “is well-founded.”
In the court documents, Marriott argued that Irvin’s urgency for the release of the items is not legitimate and said the former Cowboys receiver is “litigating in the court of public opinion in an effort to convince the NFL to let him cover the NFL Combine” this week in Indianapolis.
Irvin’s attorney, Levi McCathern, said he and his client are “pleased” with the ruling. The 56-year-old Irvin is reportedly accused of making “harassing and inappropriate” comments to an unnamed female employee, described as “Jane Doe” in his $100 million lawsuit against the hotel.
The woman’s allegations against Irvin have not been disclosed by the hotel. At the time, Irvin said he engaged in a “45-second conversation” with the woman and that there was “absolutely no sexual wrongdoing.”
Irvin has lost out on money and canceled appearances as a result of the false allegations. He was removed from NFL Network’s Super Bowl coverage after news of the incident was made public, and has been absent from his usual Monday appearances on ESPN’s “First Take.”
In his lawsuit, Irvin’s attorney said that the interaction between Irvin and the employee lasted less than a minute, and that afterward, his client went to his hotel room alone and fell asleep.
Additionally, Irvin accused the hotel’s management and its employees of making him the victim of “cancel culture” and alleged he’s being “railroaded” with false accusations.
↯↯↯Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media ↯↯↯