Antonio Brown Is Feuding With His Former Chef Over a Frozen Fish Head
Credit to Author: Jelisa Castrodale| Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2019 16:12:40 +0000
Antonio Brown has had one hell of an August. At the beginning of the month, the Oakland Raiders wide receiver missed 10 training camp sessions after a bungled cryotherapy session left him with severe frostbite on both of his feet. After that, he attempted to challenge the NFL’s new helmet rules by filing a grievance against the league and arguing that he should be allowed to wear his old, now-unacceptable helmet. After an arbitrator said “Nope,” he quickly filed a second grievance. On Tuesday, he finally—FINALLY—participated in training camp, and was seen carrying a helmet that meets the NFL’s requirements.
Last week, a man who calls himself “The Sports Chef” sued Brown, alleging that the player refused to pay his $38,521.20 bill, all because of a fish head that he’d left in the freezer. Stefano Tedeschi told ESPN that Brown hired him during last season’s Pro Bowl, and asked him to cook for several days, host a culinary show, and otherwise accommodate almost 50 hungry NFL players.
But before the weekend ended, Brown allegedly kicked Tedeschi out of that rented Miami-area mansion, wouldn’t allow him to take his own food or cooking equipment with him, and a member of Brown’s entourage allegedly told him not to make eye contact with the player as he slunk off the property. “I’ve cooked for countless NFL superstars and celebrities,” he told the network. “Never once have I had one problem [until this]. My food is so good, and my mannerisms in someone’s home is second to none.”
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Tedeschi said that he’s decided that the reason Brown booted him was because of a severed salmon head that he’d saved to use in a soup. According to the chef, he’d purchased a giant salmon to filet and serve to Brown and his Pro Bowl teammates, and stashed its head in the freezer. Tedeschi believes that Brown opened the door, possibly saw its cold dead eyes staring at him, and mistakenly interpreted it as some kind of weird-ass threat.
“Apparently they misunderstood the fish head,” he said. “I said, ‘Who could have possibly misunderstood a fish head in the freezer? Tell me, what person with intelligence could have misplaced a fish head for some mob, horse head?!'”
Tedeschi told ESPN that Brown did offer to pay him in social media advertising, but he’d rather have his actual cash, thanks. He alleges that Brown and his associates have suggested that they’ll “drag this thing out” and take him to court—but, again, he just wants to get paid for a weekend’s worth of work.
“There is no merit to the case, and we will be filing a motion to dismiss. The ‘fish head’ claim is ludicrous,” Brown’s attorney Darren Heitner told VICE. “I can’t fathom what he means by his statement that Mr. Brown will take the lawsuit to court. He is the person who initiated a legal proceeding.”
What a month, Antonio.
This article originally appeared on VICE US.