Details of accusations against CB Jeff Gladney emerge in lawsuit

Gladney’s ex-girlfriend accuses him of beating and choking her in a jealous rage, then trying to buy her silence

Sign up for Purple Insider for $7 per month or $64 per year to get credentialed access inside the Vikings, from in-depth analysis to behind-the-scenes features to the ever-popular Friday Mailbag. Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

---

By Brian Murphy, special to Purple Insider

As a grand jury deliberates Jeff Gladney’s fate on domestic assault allegations, his ex-girlfriend went on the offensive, filing a $1 million lawsuit against the Vikings cornerback, accusing him of beating and choking her during a jealous rage before trying to buy her silence with jewelry and gift certificates.

The 22-year-old woman, identified as “Jane Doe” in the 15-page suit, said Gladney punched her in the face and ribs, pulled and wrapped her ponytail around her neck and choked her before she nearly passed out despite repeated pleas to stop. The attack, according to the complaint, lasted more than two hours April 1-2. 

She challenged Gladney after discovering messages he had sent to another woman, for whom he had bought $700 Louis Vuitton sunglasses. Gladney’s ex was a passenger in his pickup truck when he grabbed her cellphone and tried to access her messages. Gladney, according to the lawsuit, repeatedly punched her in the ribs and slammed her head into the dashboard on his way to a residence before she eventually escaped and flagged down a passing motorist to call police.

“Having been beaten for over two hours, thrown around like a rag doll, and fearing for her life, she only had one thought at that point, no matter the risk: try to get out of that car before (Gladney) forced her into the apartment where her fate would have been even more perilous,” the complaint reads. “(She) knew this was her last chance to survive.”

Gladney also is accused in the lawsuit of showing up unannounced to the woman’s house July 25 “uninvited, and forced (her), against her will, to delete threads of text messages and screenshots of text messages.”

The suit also says Gladney tried to bribe her with a $1,000 Tiffany necklace and a spa gift certificate.

The allegations offer new details about the violent confrontation between Gladney and the Dallas woman, who said she met the then-Vikings rookie online in September before the relationship blossomed during the 2020 season.

Police filed charges against Gladney, who turned himself into authorities three days later and posted $10,000 bond. Minnesota’s 2020 first-round draft choice did not participate in offseason workouts or mandatory minicamp. He also has not practiced with the team this week during training camp, although he recently answered the door at his St. Paul house and declined to comment about his case.

Dallas County prosecutors on Thursday asked a grand jury to indict Gladney on felony family violence charges.

Texas law says if a person assaults a family member or dating partner and “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly impeded the normal breathing or circulation of the blood by applying pressure to a person’s throat or neck” it increases punishment from up to 1 year in jail to 2 to 10 years in prison.

Gladney’s attorney, Morris Overstreet, and his agent, Brian Overstreet, have not returned several telephone calls and emails seeking comment. 

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said Wednesday, “This is an ongoing legal matter and at this time we just can’t have any comment on it.”

“We take this matter very seriously, as the reported allegations are extremely disturbing,” the team said in a statement April 5 after Gladney’s arrest.

Gladney has not made any public statements except for an Instagram post, which has since been taken down, that said, “Still hard to believe this girl tryna ruin my life all because i wouldn’t be with her…(sic).”

Gladney started 15 of 16 games for the Vikings last season after being selected 31st overall out of Texas Christian University.