Former NFL defensive lineman and sports broadcaster Marcellus Wiley was released from custody on Sunday night following his arrest in Central Florida on a domestic battery charge, according to Orange County Corrections Department records.
Wiley, 51, was booked into the Orange County Jail on July 4, after an incident at the World Marriott hotel in Orlando. According to NBC News, he was released at 8:43 p.m. on Sunday after posting a $1,000 cash bond. TMZ first reported the arrest.
An arrest affidavit seen by The Independent states that deputies responded to the hotel Saturday afternoon after Wiley’s wife requested that he be removed because she was afraid of him. The affidavit states that she told authorities Wiley threatened to kill her and that he had an unreported history of violence toward her.
She further alleged that on Friday morning, Wiley used his finger to sternly and intentionally poke her in the cheek during an argument witnessed by their seven-year-old daughter.
The responding deputy noted no visible injuries, and Wiley's wife declined medical attention. The couple's daughter told deputies she heard the argument but did not see any physical contact.
When questioned by authorities, Wiley denied any physical altercation and told deputies he believed his wife made the allegations because she intends to divorce him, a plan his wife also mentioned to police.
Under Florida law, criminal battery includes any instance where a person intentionally touches or strikes another person against their will. Deputies concluded that probable cause existed for the domestic violence battery charge.
Wiley played 10 seasons in the NFL from 1997 to 2006, appearing in 147 games as a defensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars. Following his football career, he worked as a sports commentator for ESPN until 2018 and later for Fox Sports until 2022, according to Fox Sports.
The Independent has contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
