Marcellus Wiley’s attorney attempts to drop him as new rape allegations surface

Attorney seeks court approval

Attorney Lisa Helfend Meyer submitted a motion Wednesday in Los Angeles County court, asking to be relieved as attorney of record in Wiley’s divorce case with his ex-wife, Annemarie. Meyer said the attorney-client relationship had broken down. She also wrote that Wiley had not followed the retainer agreement, responded to communications or provided information needed for her representation.

New lawsuit alleges rape

The motion followed a lawsuit filed one day earlier by a woman who accused Wiley of raping her nearly 28 years ago. She says she was a USC student and Wiley was playing for the Buffalo Bills at the time.

The lawsuit says a rape kit administered at Los Angeles County Medical Center tested positive for bruising and Wiley’s semen. The plaintiff also says she filed a police report and was told by the Los Angeles County District Attorney on April 15, 1999, that no charges would be filed because Wiley denied her allegations.

Divorce and prior allegations

Meyer had represented Wiley in his divorce from Annemarie. She had alleged that Wiley got physical and threatened to kill her in a hotel room; he was arrested on domestic battery charges in Orange County, Florida. Annemarie later filed for divorce, sought a restraining order and accused him of rape.

The domestic battery charges tied to Wiley’s July 4 arrest were dropped in August. Court documents said the testimonial evidence was not corroborated by physical or other evidence and was insufficient for a conviction. In September, a judge granted Annemarie a three-year domestic violence restraining order against Wiley.

Other cases and Wiley’s response

A separate sexual assault case against Wiley remains ongoing. Last April, four accusers, including a former ESPN production assistant, joined three other women in alleging sexual assault; one woman said Wiley raped her while he played football at Columbia University in 1994.

Wiley has denied all allegations. Asked by The New York Post about the new accusations and his attorney’s request, he directed the newspaper to MenTooProject.org and urged readers to join a fight for truth, fairness and justice.