Greg Hardy: I've never put my hand on any women
In a one-on-one interview with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy denied past accusations of domestic violence.
“I’ve never put my hand on any women,” Hardy said. “In my whole entire life, No Sir. That’s just not how we’re raised.”
Hardy was arrested in May 2014 after allegedly grabbing his ex-girlfriend, throwing her onto a couch and strangling her. A judge found Hardy guilty of assault in July 2014, but Hardy appealed for a jury trial, and the charges were dropped when Hardy’s accuser failed to appear in court. In November 2015, one day after Hardy’s charges were expunged from his record, Deadspin published police photos of Hardy’s ex-girlfriend, showing her bruised and injured.
Schefter asked Hardy about the photos.
• ROSENBERG: It shouldn’t have taken photos to stir outrage over Hardy’s actions
Schefter: “You say you did nothing wrong, you’re innocent and yet the pictures of her that surfaced would seem to suggest a woman who had some type of physical contact. How do you explain that?”
Hardy: “I will stop you there and say that I didn’t say that I didn’t do anything wrong. That situation occurred and that situation was handled but … saying that I did nothing wrong is a stretch but saying I am innocent is correct. Yes sir.”
Hardy has been widely criticized for the answer, including a comment from his former Carolina Panthers teammate Steve Smith.
Hardy played one game for the Panthers in 2014 but was placed on the commissioner's exempt list due to his case. Hardy then served a four-game suspension in 2015 after signing with the Cowboys. He is currently a free agent.
