It was a rape allegation by a year-old employee of a Colorado hotel. It happened in Some argued that making that life-altering detail a mere footnote to the stories detailing Bryant's life and unexpected death was the human thing to do on such an awful day.
Others felt it was another example of an icon being given a pass of sorts because he was a successful athlete. While dozens of high-profile figures β including senators, movie producers, news anchors and comedians but not the president or the newest Supreme Court justice β have seen their careers vanquished by allegations of sex abuse and domestic violence, high-profile sports figures have skated past similar accusations at a far more frequent rate.
I think there's just a different line there. All are among the sports stars who have had stomach-churning allegations leveled against them but have skirted major repercussions β from their leagues, the teams, law enforcement or, in large part, in the court of public opinion.
The case of troubled wide receiver Antonio Brown could be instructive. He was released by the Patriots earlier this season when rape allegations surfaced. The NFL is investigating the accusations, and not until that is over will we know what appetite teams might have to sign him. Among the central questions in the Bryant story, and how his life is being remembered, is whether the pass he received in the obituaries and tributes was more about the passage of time than any bias toward him, or athletes in general.
It's been 17 years since the allegations. A good section of Bryant's fan base either wasn't born, or was barely able to understand the news, when reports of his case first surfaced. And yet, here we are in the MeToo era, in which everyone's past is easily researched on Google, and any transgression or poorly thought-out meme on social media is not only discoverable, but has the potential to change the narrative for any celebrity. Allegations of sex abuse are leveled with greater frequency against the rich and famous; more of the accusers, but certainly not all, are increasingly treated with greater respect, and their complaints are being taken more seriously.
