Ex-NFL Pro Bowler Marcellus Wiley arrested, charged with domestic battery during Fourth of July
PORTLAND, Maine — Former NFL Pro Bowler and television personality Marcellus Wiley was taken into custody by the Orange County Sheriff's Office over the weekend on domestic battery charges, according to jail records. The 51-year-old former defensive end is being held without bond, authorities confirmed.
Wiley's arrest comes amid an escalating series of legal challenges. A detailed investigative report published by Rolling Stone in April outlined sexual assault allegations made by four women, adding to civil lawsuits previously filed against him.
One woman alleges in court documents that Wiley began grooming her when she was 13 years old while he was playing for the Buffalo Bills. She claims he sexually assaulted her on her 18th birthday in Dallas, where he later played for the Cowboys. The woman stated in the filing that Wiley referred to her as "little momma" and alleged that university officials failed to act on complaints that might have prevented the abuse.
"If Columbia had properly pursued the complaints, I would never have been groomed and raped," she wrote.
Another accuser, a former production assistant at ESPN where Wiley worked as a broadcaster, claims he lured her to a hotel room in 2009 under the pretense of a business meeting and then assaulted her.
"The assault was devastating to me, and I will live with the effects to this day," she stated in court filings cited by Rolling Stone.
Three additional women filed suit alleging Wiley raped them during his time as a student-athlete at Columbia University in the late 1990s.
Wiley has denied all allegations through his "More To It with Marcellus Wiley" podcast, calling the accusations "B.S." and stating he possesses evidence to challenge what he described as "misrepresentations."
His wife, Annemarie Wiley, is a former cast member of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
A standout at Columbia in the 1990s, Wiley was selected 52nd overall in the 1997 NFL Draft. He spent his first four seasons with the Bills before earning his only Pro Bowl selection with the San Diego Chargers in 2001. He later played for Dallas and Jacksonville before retiring after the 2006 season.
Following his playing career, Wiley transitioned to broadcasting, working for both ESPN and FOX Sports.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office has provided no further details regarding the domestic battery arrest, and no additional information was immediately available from prosecutors.
