Marcellus Wiley Faces New Sexual Assault Allegations: Former NFL Player Accused by Four Additional Women, Including ESPN Production Assistant
Marcellus Wiley, a former NFL player and current sportscaster, is facing new sexual assault allegations from four additional accusers, including a former ESPN production assistant. These allegations emerged in recent court filings, following previous lawsuits accusing Wiley of rape during his time as a student and football star at Columbia University in 1994. The new accusers claim that Wiley's reputation and Ivy League background made them trust him, and they allege that Columbia University failed to address the reported rapes, allowing Wiley to maintain a positive image.
Wiley, who is married to Annemarie Wiley, a former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member, has not responded to requests for comment. His lawyer previously denied the allegations of sexual assault. The new accusers include women who claim Wiley assaulted them in California between 1995 and 1999, as well as a woman who alleges Wiley targeted her as a minor and later coerced her into sex. Another accuser, a former ESPN assistant, says Wiley attacked her in a hotel room in 2009.
The allegations from the new accusers were filed in New York as part of an effort to turn one of the existing lawsuits into a class action against Wiley and Columbia University. The initial lawsuit, filed in 2023, accuses Wiley of raping a student in 1994. The plaintiff claims she reported the assault to school officials but was advised not to involve the police. Two other former Columbia students with pending lawsuits also allege that Wiley raped them in dorm rooms in 1994.
Lawyer Laura Gentile, representing the women, argues that Columbia University knew about the rape allegations but only placed Wiley on academic probation, failing to address the misconduct adequately. A hearing to determine the class action status of the case is scheduled for May 12, with a decision expected in the following weeks.