The ex-girlfriend who accused Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott of striking her last year reportedly vowed to ruin his career, telling him: ‘You are a black male athlete. I’m a white girl. They are not going to believe you.’
The NFL last week suspended Elliott for six games for allegedly beating his then-girlfriend, Tiffany Thompson, but the running back has no intention of taking the punishment lying down.
Elliott will officially file a notice of appeal to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday, according to a report in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The Cowboys star is reportedly planning to try and poke holes in Thompson’s credibility.
It was Thompson who initially accused the running back of being violent toward her last year in Columbus, Ohio.
The accusations which were made on July 22, 2016, lie at the heart of the NFL’s decision to ban Elliott for the first six games of this upcoming season.
Elliott was not arrested or charged in connection with the alleged incident after prosecutors in Ohio determined that they could not put together a case due to ‘conflicting and inconsistent information,’ according to the Star-Telegram.
Nonetheless, the NFL says it conducted its own investigation into the matter.
The league said there was ‘substantial and persuasive evidence’ that Elliott had physical confrontations last summer with Thompson.
In a letter to Elliott informing him of the league’s decision, NFL special counsel for conduct Todd Jones said advisers brought in by the league ‘were of the view that there is substantial and persuasive evidence supporting a finding that (Elliott) engaged in physical violence against Ms. Thompson on multiple occasions during the week of July 16, 2016.’
But the NFL apparently shares the same concerns expressed by Ohio authorities over Thompson’s trustworthiness.
The lead investigator for the league, Lisa Friel, said that Thompson gave misleading statements to authorities last year.
Elliott hopes that the league will reconsider its suspension by noting that Thompson had threatened to ‘ruin’ his career.
When Thompson was reportedly told that Elliott didn’t want her at his home, she responded: ‘Ok this is what you want? Ok then, I’m going to ruin your life. You will see. If I was you, I wouldn’t go out tonight.’
After she was reportedly disinvited to Elliott’s 21st birthday party, Thompson is alleged to have told Elliott: ‘That’s worst decision you made in your life. I’m going to ruin your life now.’
On another occasion, Thompson is alleged to have told Elliott: ‘You better be smart. And not be a dumb man. B—-, keep (messing) with the wrong, b—-.’
Elliott will also inform the NFL that he is “100 percent certain” that Thompson told him on July 22, “You are a black male athlete. I’m a white girl. They are not going to believe you.”
The alleged threats by Thompson were reportedly made on July 21 and the early morning of July 22 – the day on which Thompson called police to accuse Elliott of assaulting her while they were inside a parked car.
Thompson was also found to have texted a friend, Ayrin Mason, asking her to lie about the alleged assault, according to the Star-Telegram.
Yet the NFL maintains that despite Thompson’s inconsistent statements, there is evidence to support the assertion that on at least three occasions Elliott assaulted her.
The league says Elliott assaulted Thompson on July 17, 19, and 21, causing injuries to her arms, neck, shoulders, face, knee, hips, wrists, and hands.
Despite the alleged incidents, Thompson waited until July 22 – after she allegedly threatened to ruin the running back’s career – to file a complaint with police.
Elliott, for his part, denies the allegations.
On Friday, Elliott tweeted he was ‘both surprised and disappointed by the NFL’s decision [to suspend him], and I strongly disagree with the league’s findings.
