Antonio Brown: All you need to know about the controversial NFL wide receiver and his Gisele fib

Antonio Brown typically courts controversy and is intermittently in the public eye for the wrong reasons. But what else is there to know about the embattled American football wide receiver, whose peccadillos have had him allegedly naked in a public pool in Dubai and inventing a relationship with Tom Brady’s ex-wife, Gisele Bundchen?

Despite Antonio Brown Sr.’s off-field controversies, the American football wide receiver was one of the most talented offensive players in his prime years. The Super Bowl LV champion made the All-Pro First Team on four occasions and was selected in the All-Star game seven times while he was active.

Being included in the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team underscored the ability of the pass receiver, who announced his retirement on March 2, 2023, before seemingly walking back that decision on April 28, 2023.

Not one to shy away from public storms, AB’s lengthy list of perceived and actual peccadillos range from sexual assault accusations, making homophobic and misogynistic remarks, a felony charge of battery and burglary, and alleged domestic violence, among others.

This piece digs deeper into everything you need to know about the embattled Antonio Brown.

Who is Antonio Brown?

Antonio Brown is commonly known for his time as a wide receiver in the NFL. He was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sixth round pick — and 195th selection overall — in the 2010 NFL Draft and represented the team between 2010 and 2018, departing for the Oakland Raiders on March 9, 2019.

A fleeting spell with the New England Patriots followed later that year, but AB’s first Super Bowl came after a trade to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season. At the time of writing, that remains the only time Brown has represented a team that has won the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

What is Antonio Brown’s age?

Antonio Brown is 35 years old. He was born on July 10, 1988.

Where is Antonio Brown from?

Miami, Florida, is the hometown of Antonio Brown, who was born in Liberty City.

Antonio Brown as a kid

According to multiple sources, Antonio Brown is the eldest child of former Arena Football player Eddie Brown and his mother, Adrianne Moss. Alongside his younger brother — Desmond Brown — AB endured a rough parental upbringing, and it worsened when his parents separated in the 1990s before his teenage years.

Antonio stayed with his mother, who remarried in 2000, but he was evicted from his stepfather's house soon after, thus continuing a challenging life for the then-teenager.

Antonio Brown’s education

Notwithstanding the difficulties, Antonio Brown was an active football and track participant at Miami Norland High School. He thrived as a wide receiver, punt returner, quarterback, and running back, underscoring his undoubted talent.

His outstanding talent earned him the title of Athlete of the Year (2005), and AB guided his team to a state championship in track and field competitions, finishing in 41.50 seconds.

However, a setback at Florida State University saw the talented expelled before the football season kicked off, but the prodigy was fortunate enough to gain admission at the University of Michigan after his former coach put in a good word.

Utilised as a wide receiver, Antonio played 14 games as a freshman, finishing with 102 receptions for 1003 yards and 6 touchdowns, consequently seeing him named the 2007 Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year.

How tall is Antonio Brown?

According to Antonio Brown's NFL profile, accurate as of November 2023, Antonio Brown's height is 5 feet 10 inches — 1.78 metres.

What does Antonio Brown weigh?

The wide receiver's weight is 185 pounds — 84kg.

Who is Antonio Brown’s wife?

At the time of writing, Antonio Brown is not married, even if he has been involved in a few relationships.

The NFL wide receiver’s relationship with Chelsie Kyriss saw the couple have four children together — three sons and a daughter. They broke up in 2021, and Kyriss subsequently filed for sole custody.

Are Antonio Brown and A.J. Brown related?

No. Even though they share surnames and are wide receivers, Antonio Brown and A.J. Brown are not blood relations. The two are not from the same hometown, neither were they schoolmates in high school and college and have never faced off in an NFL game.

Antonio Brown’s stats

Regardless of the widespread criticism, Antonio Brown is still regarded as one of the NFL's finest wideouts, standing out for his athleticism, speed and playmaking ability.

An overview of Brown’s NFL career shows he played 146 regular season games spanning 12 years, with his 928 receptions ranking 10th in the all-time leaders, demonstrating the ability to secure the ball and increase his teams’ offensive opportunities.

Brown's 12,291 receiving yards is the eighth highest of all-time, underscoring his standing as one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history. Brown’s position as the 18th all-time for receiving touchdowns shows how valuable he was to his teams, and he consistently gained yardage on each reception, evidenced by 13.2 yards per catch — ranking 22nd of all time.

Being named NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2010 reinforced his position as one of the finest wide receivers of his era, while making the All-Pro First Team on four occasions and his inclusion in the All-Star game seven times highlight Brown’s high level in his prime years.

Are Antonio Brown and Tom Brady friends?

While the current status of Antonio Brown and Tom Brady’s relationship is unknown, the former teammates fell out. Brown and Brady were teammates at the New England Patriots before reuniting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning the Super Bowl in the 2020 season. 

However, things reportedly turned sour due to the wide receiver’s behaviour, with the quarterback rumoured to have taken exception to Brown’s ill-discipline before the Buccaneers released the 35-year-old. 

Nevertheless, Brady stating that he would back Brown’s endeavours to rejoin the league have led to speculation of their reconciliation. This remains unconfirmed. 

Antonio Brown and Gisele

The relationship between Antonio Brown and Gisele has provoked constant speculation since the wide receiver posted a photo of himself in bed with a seeming lookalike of the Brazilian supermodel in December 2022.

With Gisele being Brady’s ex-wife, this precipitated speculation over who the mystery woman was, with reactions doing the rounds on social media. Be that as it may, the authenticity of that photo is doubted, causing many to believe it was a ruse.

What happened to Antonio Brown in Dubai pool?

In May 2022, Antonio Brown was accused of exposing himself in a pool to a female guest at the Armani Hotel in Dubai. 

Despite denying the allegations, the 35-year-old was removed from the hotel and ejected from the premises. While his attorney, Sean Burstyn, corroborated his client’s account, the hotel's security footage reportedly showed Brown exposing himself to the female guest. 

The episode was reported to the police, but the one-time Super Bowl winner was not arrested.

Who does Antonio Brown play for?

Even though his talents are recognised, Antonio Brown is currently a free agent.

When did Antonio Brown retire?

Antonio Brown is effectively a free agent because he retired from football on March 2, 2023, before reversing that decision just over a month later on April 28, 2023. However, the 35-year-old was not signed in the 2023 season.

Did Vontaze Burfict destroy Antonio Brown's career?

The suggestion that Vontaze Burfict wrecked Antonio Brown's career remains a heated debate. 

Brown had a concussion in October 2016 after Vontaze Burfict struck him helmet-to-helmet during a Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cincinnati Bengals game, with the aggressor heavily criticised for being risky and dirty. The NFL suspended Burfict for four games, and there are suggestions that Brown never truly recovered from the incident.

However, much of the wide receiver’s off-field action, resulting in punishments have also contributed to his declined status. Thus, attributing Brown’s drop-off to Burfict’s hostile act alone is flawed.

Will Antonio Brown play in the NFL again?

There are doubts about Antonio Brown playing in the NFL again due to his age and tendency to court controversy. It remains to be seen if the one-time Super Bowl winner convinces any team he is healthy to compete at a high level consistently and stay out of trouble. 

Is Antonio Brown joining the Baltimore Ravens?

No. Despite posting a photo of himself on X in a Baltimore Ravens uniform, hinting he was returning to the NFL with the Ravens, the wide receiver has not joined any team since the April 2023 post.

What is Antonio Brown doing now?

Since his last NFL stint with the Buccaneers in 2022, Antonio Brown has reportedly kept busy outside the sport. Not only did he segue into a music career, releasing his debut album, "Paradigm," in April 2022, but the 35-year-old partnered with rapper Kanye West on his clothing line — Donda Sports.

Interestingly, Brown became a part-owner of the Albany Empire, an Arena Football League team in New York, in May 2023. But this was short-lived.

Antonio Brown as an owner

Despite the excitement after Antonio Brown became a co-owner, the Albany Empire descended into chaos in a trice before they were kicked out of the National Arena League in June 2023 with seven games left.

ESPN’s extensive report revealed the fan irritation at the events that ensued throughout Brown’s three-month ownership, blighted by owed and delayed payments to players and staff, while the Empire’s unpaid $21,000 three-month membership fees were deemed detrimental by the league’s leadership.

Brown’s failure to meet the mid-June deadline saw them dismissed from the league with seven games to play.

With the Super Bowl LV winner’s ephemeral tenure long done, the franchise was revived by Mike Kwarta, Andy Guelcher and Rich Szesnat in October, as announced by the league's official X account.

What is Antonio Brown’s net worth?

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Antonio Brown has a net worth of $20 million.

Antonio Brown’s Twitter

Antonio Brown has an account on X (formerly Twitter) with 1.6 million followers at the time of writing. His handle is @AB84.

Is Antonio Brown on Instagram?

Yes, Antonio Brown is on Instagram. The 35-year-old wideout has 16.1 million followers at the time of writing. His handle is @ab.