Annie Apple, the mother of Giants rookie cornerback Eli Apple, ripped team and its co-owner yesterday over their handling of accused domestic abuser Josh Brown.
In a heartfelt article for SI.com titled “Why I cannot stay silent after John Mara’s callous comments about domestic violence,” Apple detailed her own abusive relationship with Eli Apple’s biological father that ended before the former Buckeye star was born.
“After I found out I was pregnant, he decided he didn’t want another child anymore,” Apple wrote of Eli’s biological father. “He’d changed his mind. He insisted I have another abortion. I refused. I couldn’t go through that again. The physical violence escalated for random things and reasons. He told me he’d keep doing this until I got rid of the baby.”
Annie Apple left him and six months later, she wrote, Eli was born. Those memories, coupled with the Josh Brown situation brought everything back Annie wrote.
“Domestic violence isn’t an amusement park attraction or haunted ride you take at an amusement park,” she wrote. “Domestic violence is a real, living nightmare. Victims are judged for not leaving, but the abuser isn’t criminalized.”
Brown was arrested in May 2015 for assault, but charges were quickly dropped.
“Usually by the time you hear of a domestic-violence victim, she’s either dead or barely alive; the rest of us survivors have lived in terror and millions of victims continue to live in terror,” Apple wrote. “Domestic violence is not about love; it’s about control. If you’re in a violent relationship, please get out and get help. It never gets better when you stay.”
Annie Apple for the win.