We knew former Major League outfielder, Milton Bradley, had some anger issues and a nasty attitude — but this piece from Sports Illustrated details a potential sociopath — who for all intents and purposes — drove his wife to her grave.
SI details the horrible domestic abuse case against his wife, Monique Bradley. It’s a heartbreaking story — and we must warn you — the details shared by SI are graphic and disturbing.
The part Major League Baseball played in the events are tragic as well and shows how tolerant teams are to major talent.
Monique Bradley met Milton while working for the Cleveland Indians as an intern in 2003.
Over the next decade—while the erratic, belligerent Bradley was given a pass by many MLB teams, media members and the sports culture at large—he and Williams would be locked in a cycle of emotional and physical abuse, separation and reconciliation, police intervention and court conflict.
It seems everyone from writer, “The Dodgers need some jerks who can play. —Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times” to Bradley’s mother, “the troubled relationship between Milton and Monique … has been off and on since they started living together before marriage…. Milton has never been the aggressor in any argument I have witnessed. Instead, Monique gets drunk and provokes the arguments” — gave Milton Bradley a pass as his anger escalated.
Bradley reportedly received anger management in 2005, and married Monique a short time later. Two days after their wedding, Bradley made his wife forcibly sign a prenuptial agreement.
He made me sign it…. Mr. Bradley is very intimidating…. He just said, … “You didn’t think you were going to leave here without signing this.
During the duration of their marriage, Bradley tried to brush off Monique’s abuse claims as posturing for a bigger divorce settlement.
The same summer that Monique and Milton Bradley were married, the police made three separate visits to their residence over abuse complaints.
Victim said her husband grabbed her right hand and pushed her hand against her mouth, causing her to hit herself…. Victim said her husband grabbed her cellphone from a bedroom table and threw it towards the wall. Victim said her cellphone broke into several parts…. Victim said she followed him into the hallway. Victim said her husband turned around and used his right forearm and pushed her against the wall. Victim stated his forearm was against her throat and she was having a difficult time breathing…. Victim said her husband went around the house and picked up all the cellphones, house phones, her car keys and credit cards and left.
Monique Bradley was several months pregnant during that altercation. Bradley would repeatedly tell his wife that she’d be dead before the police arrived.
The same Milton Bradley that would reportedly call his wife a b*tch, slut and whore — was the L.A. Dodgers’ nominee for the 2005 Roberto Clemente Award — which recognizes the player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship and community involvement, and the individual’s contribution to his team.
Things really escalated from there. Here are a serious of excerpts from the testimony provided by both about the abuse.
Milton Bradley divorced his wife in 2006, yet they continued to live together. Monique Bradley said that Milton would make her accompany him everywhere he went — using threatening phone calls and emails to make his point.
In March 2009 — while in Arizona for spring training, Monique gave birth to the Bradley’s’ second child. Her mother came to help with the baby, and Milton evicted her from the house.
[Milton] had gone to Las Vegas … and had purchased some presents for me…. I told him that I did not want his gifts and he became upset. He opened one of the boxes … took out [a shoe] and hit me on the head with it.
Milton stated to me that he was going to lunch with Ken Griffey Jr. I [joked] … that maybe he could pick him up in his new overpriced car [a Rolls-Royce Phantom]. Milton … became furious with me…. He yelled that he hated me, that I made him sick and that he wanted me to leave
Mr. Bradley got in late … and he started arguing. He was already in a bad mood. And he took a hotel glass and threw it at me. It broke on my head…. I was in shock, and blood was just coming down my face…. I was trying to clean it up. He wouldn’t let me go to the doctor. And he told me I was using too many towels … to clean up the blood…. I guess somebody called [hotel security] because they heard the disturbance, and [Milton] looked me in my eye and he held me and he’s like, “Don’t throw away everything we have,” like this is his future, his job. So I protected him even though I’m standing there in blood and he didn’t even care.
2011
Before attending a Lakers game on Jan. 17, Milton became frustrated when he could not find an expensive piece of jewelry. He blamed workers in the house and berated Monique for insufficiently monitoring them. After he left, Monique took the children to a hotel. Milton returned to an empty house. He called and texted Monique, demanding that she bring the kids to him. She did not. The next day:
VICT [Monique] was taking children to school, SUSP [Milton] followed VICT, pulled up beside her and stated, ‘Bring back my kids or I’m gonna f—— kill you,’ as he motioned as if slicing his neck with his hand. —Report by LAPD officer T. Houser
Milton was arrested by the LAPD on Jan. 18 for making threats against a woman. Monique received an emergency protective order. Milton’s bail was set at $50,000, and he was released that afternoon.
[Your lawyer] will get u killed. Tell the police. U f— like a whore does u get whore treatment u deserve what u will get trust that.
MILTON: Play Russian roulette with your life and our children just proves my.
The tipping point of Milton’s Bradley’s behavior came when he went through with this deplorable act — focused on Monique Bradley’s father.
MILTON BRADLEY: And u mfs need to get the f— out of my house. And that goes for your ho of a daughter, too. Try me.
BRADLEY: I’m gonna embarrass your whole family when I prove what a groupie ho your daughter is.
Then he sent Roger Williams a video of himself and Monique having sex.
BRADLEY: That’s your daughter getting f—– … and there’s more where that came from.
The question had to be asked — why a woman facing so much abuse would continue to reconcile with a man like Milton Bradley. Monique’s only response was, ” When we got along it was the best…. I just always wanted to believe there was a better person.
Monique Bradley would later suffer a black eye from being punched in the face by Milton.
In 2013 Milton Bradley was finally charged with abusing his estranged wife. Judge Rubinson sentenced Milton Bradley to 32 months in prison and 52 weeks of domestic violence and anger-management classes. He was released on $250,000 bail and remains free pending appeal.
On Sept. 14 2014, Monique Bradley died at Encino Hospital Medical Center. A death certificate dated Oct. 10 lists the causes as cryptogenic (i.e., of unknown origin) cirrhosis of the liver, hemorrhagic shock and cardiorespiratory arrest. She was 33.
Milton Bradley has not spent a day in jail up to this point, and he has sole custody of his children.