Jim Brown, a running back in the NFL Hall of Fame who left the game at the height of his prodigious career to become an actor and a well-known civil rights activist, passed away at the age of 87. While Brown continued to be well-known in the public as a sports icon and civil rights activist, charges of aggressive behavior against other women, notably Brenda Ayers, eventually damaged his credibility.

Also Read: Who was Jim Brown? Cause of death, net worth, age, relationship, career, family and more

Who is Brenda Ayers?

Brenda Ayers was one of the multiple women who accused Jim Brown of assault, abuse and violence.

Brenda Ayers, who was 18 at the time, said that Brown molested her in a Cleveland Howard Johnson motel. Brown was accused of aggression and misconduct. At the time, according to a story from the Associated Press, Ayers claimed Brown “plied her with whiskey, slapped her face, hip and stomach and forced her to have sex relations with him on two occasions.” 

Also Read: Jim Brown criminal record: A look at Cleveland Brown legend’s controversies

Ayers sobbed throughout her testimony in court, claiming that Jim Brown contacted her days prior to the hearing and had asked, “Why was I doing this to him?” Brown denied assaulting her and having sex with her; his defense attorney referred to it as a money-grabbing shakedown scheme. Later, he was declared not guilty by a Cleveland jury.

Additionally, he battled fatherhood claims that he was the biological parent of Brenda Ayres’ kid a year later. After losing a paternity lawsuit against Brown, Ayers then filed a civil damages lawsuit, which she later requested be dismissed.

Also Read: NFL legend Jim Brown’s children: Who are Kim, Kevin, James, Aris and Morgan

Brown is accused of raping and abusing a 33-year-old woman in his house in addition to these other charges. The woman stated in court that Brown was her friend and had brought her over one day, but when she tried to leave, he beat her before raping her with the assistance of his 23-year-old then-girlfriend Carol Moses.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Moses testified before a grand jury that Brown attempted to break up their physical altercation after the lady “made a lesbian advance towards her” and that Moses had been physically assaulted by the woman.