Former NFL player Antonio Brown has found himself in hot water after failing to address a lawsuit filed against him by jeweler Shuki International.
The jeweler, known for catering to high-profile celebrities like Floyd Mayweather, alleged that Brown borrowed several valuable items in 2022 but never returned them or made payment for them. Among the items in question were a pair of “Shuki International” diamond fingers, each valued at $500,000, a rose gold black diamond version of the finger piece, a white gold chain, and a ring. Shuki claimed that he had entrusted these pieces to Brown with the expectation that they would either be returned or compensated for.
Despite attempts to resolve the matter amicably, Brown allegedly failed to respond to the lawsuit, leading to a default judgment in favor of Shuki for a total of $1,095,000, TMZ reports. Shuki expressed disappointment over the situation, especially since he and Brown had a previously close relationship.
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Interestingly, Brown was recently spotted in Los Angeles flaunting one of Shuki’s diamond fingers, showcasing it to onlookers on Rodeo Drive. Efforts to obtain a comment from Brown’s representative regarding the judgment have been unsuccessful thus far.
Antonio Brown’s failure to address the lawsuit has not only resulted in a significant financial penalty but has also strained his relationship with a once-trusted jeweler.
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As we previously reported, Brown, 33, was released following his disruptive actions in 2022 during the Bucs’ Week 17 contest against the New York Jets.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have terminated the contract of Antonio Brown, effective immediately,” the Bucs said in a statement at the time. “While Antonio did receive treatment on his ankle and was listed on the injury report the week leading up to last Sunday’s game, he was cleared to play by our medical team prior to the start of the game and at no point during the game did he indicate to our medical personnel that he could not play. We have attempted, multiple times throughout this week, to schedule an evaluation by an outside orthopedic specialist, yet Antonio has not complied. Maintaining the health and wellness of our players is of the utmost importance to our organization.”
Brown has been a free agent ever since.