Former NFL Player Marcellus Wiley Faces New Sexual Assault Allegations as Lawsuits Expand

Former NFL player and media personality Marcellus Wiley is facing a new wave of sexual assault allegations, with four additional women coming forward in recent court filings that significantly broaden an already ongoing legal battle tied to his time as a student-athlete at Columbia University and his later professional career.

The latest claims were submitted this month as part of expanded litigation in New York, where three women had previously filed lawsuits accusing Wiley of rape during his time at Columbia in 1994. The new filings introduce allegations from four more accusers, including a former ESPN production assistant, and are being used to support a motion seeking class action status against both Wiley and the university.

In sworn statements submitted under penalty of perjury, the new accusers allege that Wiley leveraged his status as a student-athlete and his reputation to gain their trust. Their attorney argues that Columbia failed to act appropriately on earlier complaints, allowing Wiley to maintain what she described as a “false image of safety, respect, and integrity,” which may have placed additional women at risk.

Among the new accusers are two women who allege assaults occurred in California between 1995 and 1999. Another accuser claims Wiley began interacting with her when she was 13 years old after visiting her middle school in Buffalo, New York, during his time with the Buffalo Bills. She alleges he initiated contact, gave her his email, and developed a relationship with her and her family, including offering gifts and invitations to his home.

According to her statement, Wiley continued the relationship over several years. She alleges that on her 18th birthday, he flew her to Dallas, where he was playing for the Dallas Cowboys, and coerced her into sex. She described the incident as rape and claimed she had been groomed over time.

A separate accuser, identified as a former ESPN production assistant, alleges that Wiley assaulted her in a hotel room in 2009 after inviting her under the pretense of a work meeting. In her statement, she claims Wiley emerged naked and physically overpowered her, leaving her fearful for her life. She says she repeatedly asked him to stop.

Two additional accusers allege incidents in the late 1990s, including one who says she was attacked in a Culver City apartment and another who claims she was raped in a hotel while attending the University of Southern California. The latter states she reported the alleged assault to the Los Angeles Police Department, though no charges were filed.

The newly filed allegations are tied to an ongoing effort by one of the original plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe, to convert her lawsuit into a class action. Her initial complaint, filed in 2023, alleges that Wiley raped her in his Columbia dorm room in November 1994 after inviting her to study. She claims university officials discouraged her from going to the police and instead handled the matter internally.

Two other former Columbia students have also filed lawsuits alleging rape in dorm rooms in 1994. One claims she was told Wiley would be suspended, while another alleges that when she reported the incident, a university official delayed action, citing Wiley’s upcoming football game.

Attorney Laura Gentile, who represents multiple accusers, alleges in court filings that Columbia was aware of multiple complaints but failed to take meaningful disciplinary action. According to the filings, Wiley was placed on academic probation rather than formally disciplined for misconduct and was allowed to complete his semester remotely.

“By promoting, protecting, and elevating a sexual predator,” Gentile wrote, the university enabled further harm, a claim that Columbia has contested in its legal response.

Wiley has consistently denied all allegations. In a prior court filing, his attorney stated that he “denies that he committed any of the wrongs alleged” and disputes that any plaintiffs were harmed. The filing also challenges whether the claims can be pursued as a class action. Columbia has stated in a legal filing that any alleged actions by Wiley were beyond the university’s control.

A hearing to determine whether the case will proceed as a class action is scheduled for May 12. A ruling is expected in the weeks that follow.