NFL star accused of choking teen girlfriend before ‘threatening to commit suicide’

'He broke my phone ... he's been like pretty abusive. He does a lot of things that I don't tolerate'

Published Jan 09, 2025  •  Last updated 8 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton runs out of the tunnel with teammates prior to a game against the Denver Broncos. AP Photo

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jermaine Burton has been accused of assault by the 19-year-old woman he was dating.

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According to a report by the Cincinnati Enquirer, the young woman says that Burton, 23, hit and choked her before “threatening to commit suicide.”

The woman is said to have told cops on Dec. 30 that Burton is “a narcissist” and “a manipulator,” but she refused to press charges.

The NFLer, who just completed his rookie season, is accused of chasing the woman inside her apartment as well as breaking her phone, hitting her and choking her.

According to the woman, Burton also grabbed a knife, held it to his neck and “said he was going to kill himself.”

She told police that “Jermaine Burton on the Bengals just broke into my house,” the news outlet reported.

“He broke my phone,” she said while sobbing heavily. “He’s been like pretty abusive. He does a lot of things that I don’t tolerate.”

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She added: “He got in my dishwasher and he grabbed a knife and he held it to his neck … I don’t f***ing deserve this.”

The woman also told police that Burton was “yelling” and “screaming” at her in the car before they went their separate ways. However, when she arrived home, he was said to be waiting.

“He wouldn’t let me go inside. And he choked me…” she said. “He blocked the door so I couldn’t go inside, and when I did go inside, he chased me upstairs. He broke into my house. He broke my phone.

“This is the second time he’s broken my phone in the past month … He broke my phone. He hit me and he left.”

Burton reportedly had left by the time police arrived.

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With rumours swirling on social media this past weekend, Burton reportedly posted a cryptic Instagram story, writing “*lies*. Stop hitting my phone.”

The Bengals responded to The Enquirer’s request for comment with the following statement: “We are aware of information related to Jermaine Burton. We will continue to evaluate as we gather additional details and will have no further comment at this time.”

According to the outlet, the woman suffered minor injuries.

Burton was selected in the third round of the 2024 draft out of Alabama, where he also was involved in controversy.

During his time in college, he was caught on camera appearing to hit a female fan who had rushed the field.

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