The former girlfriend of Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney has filed a civil lawsuit seeking at least $1 million in damages after Gladney was accused of assault last April.
An affidavit obtained by USA Today says the lawsuit details the April 1 incident where Gladney is accused of assault, battery, false imprisonment, and spoiling of evidence.
The affidavit states that the incident began when Gladney’s now former girlfriend scrolled through his phone and noticed messages from another woman.
When she confronted Gladney about the messages, the suit alleges Gladney yelled at her to unlock her phone, pulled her hair and punched her, choked her and slammed her face into the dashboard while driving down the freeway.
This alleged assault continued throughout the journey, during which Gladney allegedly exited the freeway several times to continue beating her at red lights, before getting back on the interstate. At one point, she says she got out of the car but Gladney grabbed her and held onto her while the vehicle was still moving.
Even after Gladney had turned himself into Dallas police on April 6, he allegedly continued trying to mend their relationship and convince her not to press charges, buying her a $1,000 Tiffany neckless, and showing up at her home uninvited and forcing her to delete text messages as recently as last week.
The civil suit is the latest in Gladney’s legal woes, who was scheduled for a grand jury hearing Thursday. According to the Pioneer Press, Gladney could be indicted on a charge of felony assault as soon as Tuesday.
Gladney was a first-round pick by the Vikings in the 2020 NFL Draft and started 15 games last season. The 24-year-old has not reported to offseason workouts or training camp since the alleged incident.
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