The NFL recently concluded an investigation into allegations that former Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Brandon McManus sexually assaulted two flight attendants, Daisy Torres and Nicole Anderson, on the team’s 2023 flight to London. After interviewing 30 people, the league found insufficient evidence to prove McManus violated its personal conduct policy, closing the case without disciplinary action. The NFL also stated that if new evidence surfaced, it would reassess the situation.
Despite this, the attorney for the two women, Tony Buzbee, criticized the NFL’s conclusion, pointing out that investigators had not spoken to his clients. He expressed confusion about how the league could reach a final decision without obtaining their testimonies.
The lawsuit, originally filed anonymously by Torres and Anderson under pseudonyms, was dismissed by a Florida judge in September, citing that anonymity didn’t meet the state’s “exceptional case” criteria. The two women refiled the lawsuit under their real names days later, accusing McManus of inappropriate behavior, including grinding against them and attempting to kiss Torres while intoxicated. They are seeking over $1 million in damages and demanding a jury trial.
The lawsuit further claims that the Jaguars failed to maintain a safe environment for staff and ignored NFL and FAA rules regarding alcohol and drugs on team flights. It alleges that the team instructed the flight attendants to disregard safety regulations.
In response to the lawsuit, McManus’s attorney, Brett Gallaway, submitted a request for admissions, asserting that the women had previously engaged in inappropriate conduct, including making sexually explicit social media posts and using a racial slur. The filing also accuses them of having past relationships with NFL players, drug addiction, and drinking on the job.
McManus, who had signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Jaguars in May 2023, was not re-signed after the contract expired. He later joined the Washington Commanders on a one-year, $6 million deal, but the team released him five days after the initial lawsuit was filed. Despite these developments, sources indicate that several NFL teams are still monitoring McManus’s situation, and he may find a new team soon.
The Jaguars have not commented on the NFL’s decision, and neither has McManus’s legal team. For now, the NFL has closed the case, although it remains possible that the league will revisit the matter if new information emerges. As the lawsuit proceeds, the focus will likely shift to whether a jury will ultimately decide McManus’s guilt or innocence, and whether the NFL will reconsider its position based on the legal proceedings