The legal dispute between Michael Irwin and Marriott continues to escalate.
During Super Bowl 2023 week in February, Irvin was removed from his broadcasting duties at the NFL Network after a female employee at the Renaissance Phoenix Hotel & Spa accused him of harassment.
Irwin sued the Marriott for $100 million and later compared the situation at a press conference to a modern-day lynching.
Marriott filed a motion related to the lawsuit Friday, saying Irwin’s characterization of the incident was inaccurate and that he was accused of making unwanted sexual advances.
“Irwin’s lawyer provided a self-serving, false summary of the video footage produced by Marriott, including his claim that the footage proved Irwin had done nothing wrong and then made racially charged statements. turned the microphone over to Irwin,” Marriott claimed in the motion. As covered by USA Today.
“It makes me sick,” Irvin said at a press conference earlier this week. “Because it takes me back to a time in this great country where a white woman would accuse a black man of something, and she’d take a bunch of guys who were above the law, run to the barn. , would put a rope around his feet. , and drag him out of the mud and hang him on a tree.”
In its filing, Marriott claims Irwin “appeared visibly intoxicated” when he approached the accused, shook his hand, told him he was attractive and asked if he was a football fan.
“Irwin also touched the victim’s arm during this conversation without her consent, causing her to pull back, clearly uncomfortable,” the filing continued. “Irwin then asked the victim if he knew anything about the ‘big black man’ being inside [her].
“Irvine then tried to hold the victim’s hand and said he was sorry if it brought back bad memories. The victim pulled her arm and tried to back away from Irvine as he continued to advance toward her.”
Earlier this week, Irvine’s attorney Levi McCathren denied the claims.
“The allegations are nonsense, and we need to immediately put Michael back on the job, and we need Renaissance to apologize to him,” McKatheran said.
In an additional development in the lawsuit, federal judge Amos Mazzant ruled that Marriott “grossly” violated his order to provide surveillance footage of the alleged incident to Irwin.
Marriott was fighting against the ruling but claimed to respect the court’s demands.
“I will be very clear,” replied Judge Mazzant. According to the Dallas Morning News. “You didn’t show it. This is why we are here. . . . Am I happy about it? No, I’m not happy about it. . . . It seems Marriott saw my order and didn’t want to make a video.
An unedited version of the video has since been sent to Irvine; Irwin has not yet made this video public.
