Child's mother Crystal Espinal to blame
Explore More
Tyreek Hill’s lawyer is fighting back on child abuse allegations against the Chiefs wide receiver, instead levying the blame on Hill’s fiancée in a letter sent to the NFL.
Hill’s fiancée, Crystal Espinal, secretly recorded audio that was broadcast last week by KCTV in Kansas City, in which the couple discussed injuries to their 3-year-old son, who Espinal claimed was “terrified” of Hill.
Espinal alleged Hill punched their son in the chest, but his lawyer said that was the first he ever heard of it.
“[Hill] categorically denies he has ever ‘punched’ his son in the chest or anywhere on his body, or otherwise touched him in the chest in a mean-spirited manner or as a form of discipline,” Hill’s attorney, N. Trey Pettlon, wrote in the letter to the NFL, which was obtained by ESPN. “He also denies that he has ever grabbed his son’s arms and pulled them aside to strike him. There have been occasions when Tyreek has tapped his son gently on the chest with his fingers, while his son was crying and said, ‘man up, buddy’ or ‘don’t cry, my man.'”
Pettlon claimed Hill and his son sometimes “play fight,” imitating comic heroes, but nothing that was too rough.
Later, Pettlon labels Espinal as the “principal disciplinarian” for their son and wrote that while both she and Hill have used spanking as discipline, Espinal allegedly took it further.
“Although Ms. Espinal claims in the secret audio to have never used a belt to discipline their child, Tyreek argued that she did, and she has admitted it to him,” the letter said. “In fact, in text messages between her and Tyreek, she admits that she caused marks to their son’s buttocks when she spanked him.”
Pettlon provides alleged text messages between the couple, in which Espinal admits to hurting their son and blaming Hill for it.
“Crystal you know I didn’t cause any bruising or harm to [our son.] But for some reason I still may be charged,” Hill allegedly wrote.
“I know you didn’t. I did. I hurt [our son.] I’m the one that did it,” Espinal allegedly responded. “I was hurt and mad at you so I blamed you for everything.”
In the audio, after Espinal told Hill their son was “terrified of him,” Hill replied, “You need to be terrified of me too, bitch.”
“That comment is inexcusable, of course, and he wouldn’t ask me to defend that here,” Pettlon said. “That comment is also inconsistent with Tyreek’s conversations with Ms. Espinal over the past several months.”
The Chiefs have banned Hill indefinitely from all team activities while they determine their next move.
ncG1vNJzZmimqaW8tMCNnKamZ2Jlfnp7j25maWpfqcazscSkZKGhnKF6p7XGoausZZKWsKx5yKdkpZ2kqbKzecKhoKWco2K6sMDHnqlmoaNiwbB5waWYpp1f