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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Miami Dolphins Sack Wide Receiver After Battery Arrest

MIAMI (CN) - The Miami Dolphins fired homegrown NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson after he was released from jail for allegedly head-butting his reality TV star wife.

The couple gave different versions of the event in the arrest affidavit.Both agree the fight was over a receipt for a box of condoms, but their reports differ as to who head-butted whom, according to a police affidavit.

On Saturday, Johnson went to jail on misdemeanor domestic abuse charges, while his wife of under six weeks, Evelyn Lozada, went to the hospital with a 3-inch gash on her forehead.

Johnson's attorney, Adam Swickle of Kelly Kronenberg in Ft. Lauderdale, said he could not talk about the facts of the case due to the ongoing investigation.

"We are working closely with the state attorney's office to resolve the matter," he told Courthouse News. "We are comfortable with the case, and that's pretty much where I have to leave it."

According to the affidavit, Lozada told police that after she confronted Johnson with the condom receipt she found in his car, he became angry and "grabbed her and head butted her on the forehead causing a laceration."

"Johnson began screaming, 'I don't give a fuck! I don't give a fuck about my career!'" Lozada told police.

She claimed she fled on foot to a neighbor's house and then called the police. She said Johnson drove around looking for her.

Johnson told police that when he and Lozada argued about the condoms, he yelled "fuck it," and Lozada then head-butted him. He said he knew Lozada was upset, so he "went for a drive trying to give her time to calm down," the affidavit states.

The responding officer noted that Lozada had a 3-inch laceration on her forehead.

Johnson was arrested and charged with domestic battery, according to the affidavit. He was released from jail Sunday on a $2,500 bond. Hours later, he was released from his contract with the Miami Dolphins.

Last week Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin reprimanded the six-time Pro Bowl winner for cursing excessively in interviews, which was caught on cameras by HBO's training camp reality TV show "Hard Knocks."

Swickle said Johnson will not be giving a statement to reporters at this time.

Johnson, who was born and raised in Miami, played for Miami Beach Senior High School before becoming a famed wide receiver. He legally changed his last name to "Ochocinco" in 2008 to commemorate his jersey number 85, but then changed it back to Johnson this July after returning to Miami to play for the Dolphins.

Lozada starred in the VH1 reality series "Basketball Wives" when she was dating former Miami Heat player Antoine Walker.

She and Johnson have their own VH1 reality show, "Ev and Ocho," coming out in September.

The Miami Dolphins did not return calls for comment.

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