The woman who was allegedly slapped by Reuben Foster says she believes his then-team, the San Francisco 49ers, attempted to intervene during his arrest to undermine her claims.
Elissa Ennis told Good Morning America in an interview that aired Thursday that she felt that police officers didn’t believe her after she called 911 at a Tampa, Florida, hotel on Nov. 24 and that the 49ers told police she was the same woman who previously recanted allegations against him.
“Even when I called the police, the 49ers came up there,” Ennis said. “… I have pictures of the 49ers coming up there trying to talk to the police telling them I’m the same ex-girlfriend that set up there and lied.”
The 49ers declined comment to Good Morning America.
Ennis said she was in Tampa, as the 49ers had been set to play the Buccaneers the next day, at Foster’s request to discuss their on-again, off-again relationship. According to a police report, Foster allegedly slapped Ennis on the side of her face. Ennis told GMA that she sustained bruises on her neck and face in the altercation, and she also reportedly suffered a concussion.
After Foster’s arrest, the 49ers placed Foster on waivers. Niners general manager John Lynch said at the time that Foster was “not living up to what we had communicated and to the energy and the time that we’ve invested in him.” The 49ers had told Foster that any future legal issues would likely result in his release.
The Washington Redskins were the only team to place a claim on the linebacker. Ennis said she was stunned that another team would add Foster to its roster.
“When he got signed, I was like, I can’t believe somebody picked him up,” Ennis told GMA. “… I just couldn’t believe somebody picked him up in less than how many hours? I was shocked.”
Foster is on the commissioner’s exempt list and currently ineligible to play, and a league source has told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that would not appeal his placement on the list as the legal process plays out.
Ennis previously accused Foster of domestic violence in February, but those charges were dropped in May when she recanted her allegations. She told GMA she lied when she recanted, saying she did so out of love.
“Love will have you doing things that’s not in your best interests,” she said, adding “I did what I had to do for the person I love. I thought that he would change.”
Foster abused Ennis on at least three occasions, she said, telling GMA she had been punched and kicked, among other violent acts.
The Redskins have said they did their own investigation into the allegations against Foster. Team president Bruce Allen said earlier this week that the Redskins had “heard a side of the story that is different.”