Internet sleuths have speculated that they know the identity of the man who called Jabrill Peppers’ on-off girlfriend during sex, which sparked the incident that led to the domestic violence case against the NFL star.
A jury acquitted Peppers, the New England Patriots safety, on Friday in his assault and battery trial. He finished testifying earlier in the day by denying he choked or shoved his accuser.
Peppers, who first took the witness stand on Thursday, had been on trial this week on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
A woman testified Thursday that Peppers grabbed her by the neck, slammed her against the wall and pushed her down the stairs after another man called her cellphone several times while they were in bed.
NFL fans think they know the identity of the person who called her. Case documents released on Friday and published to social media claimed the man was named ‘JuJu’. They also referenced a ‘teammate’.
This has led many to speculate the identity of the person is JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Kansas City Chiefs receiver who played with Peppers at the Patriots until August 2024.
New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers hugs his mom after a jury found him not guilty
Peppers was on trial this week on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon
JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Chiefs receiver, played with Peppers at the Patriots until August
Peppers was arrested on October 5, two months after Smith-Schuster was released by the Patriots.
On Friday, Peppers said from the stand that he told police that he believed his accuser ‘was trying to do all this to mess up my career,’ The Boston Globe reported.
Along with the woman’s testimony, prosecutors showed several videos of the incident, in which Peppers can be seen asking the naked woman to repeatedly leave his house in Braintree, Massachusetts.
The woman said Peppers was filming her and taunting her, as she tried to get her belongings and depart after the alleged assault.
Police said she refused to go to a hospital and was treated at the home for her injuries.
‘He grabbed me by the neck and slammed me against the wall,’ the woman said, at times getting emotional. ‘My feet weren´t touching the wall and he was holding me up against the wall.’
During cross-examination on Thursday, Marc Brofsky, the attorney for Peppers, challenged the woman´s account and the extent of her injuries. He also noted the $9.5million civil lawsuit the woman has filed against Peppers, alleging she was ‘looking for money.’
Peppers pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing cocaine before his domestic violence trial started on Thursday.
He admitted to a Massachusetts judge that he was carrying the illegal drug at the time of his arrest.
New England sports reporter Keagan Stiefel posted this excerpt from the case on social media
Peppers looks over photographic evidence as he testifies in his assault and battery trial trial
The NFL player has been ordered to remain drug-free and keep out of trouble for the next four months after making his guilty plea.
Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the commissioner´s exempt list on October 9 following the incident.
The Patriots signed Peppers, a safety in his third season with the team, to an extension over the summer.
Peppers was originally drafted by Cleveland in 2017 and spent two seasons with the Cleveland Browns before playing for the New York Giants for three seasons. His current contract with the Patriots runs through 2027.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Smith-Schuster’s representatives for comment.
