Two women have sued the Jacksonville Jaguars and their former kicker Brandon McManus after alleging he sexually assaulted them on a team flight to London last year.
ESPN reports that the women – who have not yet been identified – are seeking more than $1 million and a jury trial.
They allege that McManus, 32, rubbed and ground himself against them, and also allege that the Jaguars failed to supervise their player and failed to create a safe environment for staff that serves the team.
The Jags played two games in London in the 2023 season, against the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley on October 1 and then against the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 8. McManus played in both.
The kicker was not re-signed by the team at the end of last season and has since signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Washington Commanders.
ESPN reports that McManus, or his attorney, will release a statement later on Monday, and the Jaguars declined to comment when contacted by the media.
According to the lawsuit, the Jaguars flew to the United Kingdom on an Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings charter flight on September 28, 2023, and the two women worked as flight attendants for the team.
They allege that the trip “quickly turned into a party” and that McManus and several other players “disregarded flight attendants’ personal space, air travel safety and federal law.”
One of the women – identified only as Jane Doe I – accuses McManus of trying to kiss her while she was seated during a period of turbulence and grinding into her twice as she served meals to passengers.
The second woman, Jane Doe II, claims McManus resisted her as she served the second of the flight’s two meals before confronting him and then “grinned and walked away.”
Doe I also claims that during the first alleged attack, she made eye contact with another Jaguars player, who was “embarrassed by McManus’ behavior.”
Doe II also claims that when the team returned to the US from London after the double-header of matches, she “stayed on the second floor of the plane to avoid McManus.”
The lawsuit says the two women experienced severe mental anguish, anxiety, psychological and emotional distress, shame and humiliation.
Last season, the NFL star earned $2 million on his one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being released by the Denver Broncos.