NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin has refiled his $100 million defamation lawsuit against Marriott and the employee who accused him of sexual misconduct, relocating the case from Texas to Arizona.
Irvin’s lawyer Levi McCathern filed a dismissal notice in a U.S. District Court on Monday, according to court documents cited by Fox 4 News. The lawsuit was then refiled Tuesday in Arizona state court, according to McCathern, with the suit naming four employees of Marriott specifically, as well as the hotel chain itself.
Irvin originally filed the lawsuit in February after a Marriott hotel employee in Phoenix accused him of misconduct, which led to Irvin’s removal from the NFL Network’s Super Bowl coverage. Marriott filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying the company does not have jurisdiction in Texas, with Irvin then refiling suit in Arizona.
Marriott provided Irvin with copies of the surveillance video showing the encounter between him and a female employee, according to Fox 4. Irvin revealed the video at a recent news conference.
The footage appears to show Irvin speaking with the Marriott employee for around two minutes, with the only physical contact appearing to be the two shaking hands. The clip itself does not feature any audio of their conversation.
Irvin’s attorney reportedly said the surveillance footage is the only shot of the interaction they have at the moment; however, they expect other footage to be released eventually.
Irvin said he hopes the video will show the public that he is being honest about his claims of innocence. (RELATED: ‘Topless Matches’: Holly Sonders Set To Launch The ‘Hottest Sports League In The World’)
“Here’s the truth. We used to say when we played football ‘the eye in the sky don’t tell no lie’, it’s just the truth,” Irvin said at the news conference. “We talk and tell lies, but the eye in the sky don’t tell no lie.”