New York Giants Release Josh Brown After NFL Investigation Into Documents Detailing Abuse Against Ex-Wife

The NFL player apologized for his past and said he never "struck" his ex-wife.

ByABC News
October 25, 2016, 2:41 PM

— -- The New York Giants have released kicker Josh Brown, the team announced on Twitter this afternoon.

"We believed we did the right thing at every juncture in our relationship with Josh," team president John Mara said in a statement. "Our beliefs, our judgments and our decisions were misguided. We accept that responsibility. We hope that Josh will continue to dedicate himself to rehabilitation and to becoming a better person and father. We will continue to support him in his efforts to continue counseling, and we hope that Josh and his family can find peace and a positive resolution."

Earlier, Brown released a statement apologizing for the frenzy caused by the release of his handwritten journals, which detailed his abusive relationship with his former wife, Molly Brown.

"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," Brown said.

He said he has "taken measures to get help" and "it's important to share" that he never "struck" his wife "and never would."

"Abuse takes many forms," he added.

"The road to rehabilitation is a journey and a constant modification of a way of life," Brown continued. "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."

On Friday, Brown was placed on the commissioner exempt list, a form of paid suspension in the NFL. He did not fight his placement on the list, ESPN reported, and he did not travel with the Giants to London for Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The NFL announced last week that it was reopening the investigation into Brown after the King County Sheriff's Office in Washington state released a trove of documents in which he admitted to abusing his then-wife.

"I viewed myself as God basically and she was my slave," Brown wrote in one letter. "I carried an overwhelming sense of entitlement because I put money higher than God and I used it as a power tool."

Brown was arrested and charged with fourth-degree assault in May 2015 after an incident with his wife, according to a police report from the King County Sheriff's Office. Charges from the incident were never filed, the county prosecutor's office told ABC News.

Molly Brown said in a statement last week that the release of the documents was "very traumatic."

The NFL said it conducted its own investigation earlier this year and suspended Josh Brown for one game for violating the league's conduct policy. The league said it "made repeated attempts" to obtain "any and all evidence and relevant information" regarding his case.

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