An NFL player has been accused of sexually assaulting two women on a flight to London last year.
Former Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Brandon McManus has been named in a lawsuit by women identified only as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II, which was filed last Friday in Duval County, Florida, according to reports.
The women allege that the Jaguars did not provide a safe working environment for staff on the flight, which took the team to the English capital for the NFL’s annual London Games last autumn.
They accuse McManus, who now plays for the Washington Commanders, of rubbing and grinding up against them during the trans-Atlantic flight.
ESPN reported that Jane Doe I said the 32-year-old sportsman tried to kiss her, and Jane Doe II said McManus “smirked and walked away” after she confronted him about grinding on her.
McManus’s lawyer responded to the legal action, which is seeking more than $1m (£780,000) in damages and a jury trial, by calling the allegations “absolutely fictitious and demonstrably false”.
“We intend to aggressively defend Brandon’s rights and integrity and clear his name by showing what these claims truly are – an extortion attempt,” Brett R. Gallaway of McLaughlin & Stern said in a statement.
The Jaguars said in a statement: “We’re aware of the complaint, and we acknowledge the significance of the claims.
“As we continue to look into the matter, it bears emphasising that we insist on an organisation built by people who represent our community and game with the highest character and class.”
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McManus left the Jaguars after last season and has since joined the Washington Commanders on a one-year contract worth $3.6m (£2.8m).
“Earlier today, we were made aware of the civil lawsuit filed on 24 May against Brandon McManus,” the Commanders said in a statement.
“We take allegations of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter. We have been in communication with the League Office and Brandon’s representation, and will reserve further comment at this time.”
McManus spent the first nine years of his 10-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos and signed with the Jaguars in May 2023.