(670 The Score) A North Carolina woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Bears defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. and the organization stemming from an altercation in a Charlotte hotel room in October 2020, when the Bears visited the Carolina Panthers for a road game.
Joann Blakney accused Edwards of assault, battery and intentional inflication of emotional distress and the Bears of negligent supervision and defamation in a civil suit, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.
Edwards, 27, was previously charged with misdemeanor assault on a female and was issued a criminal summons, but that summons hasn’t been served yet, the Tribune reported.
Blakney also faces a misdemeanor simple assault charge in the altercation. There’s no court date currently set for Edwards, while a court date for Blakney is set for May, the Tribune reported.
Blakney accused Edwards of being physically abusive, including hitting her in the face and dragging her out of the room, after they had consensual oral sex but she denied his request to have sexual intercourse, the Tribune reported. Edwards’ agent has denied those allegations.
The NFL notified Edwards and the Bears in July that there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that he had violated the league’s personal conduct policy, the Tribune reported. Edwards has played in seven games for the Bears this season. He was suspended for the first two games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.