With the recent revelation that Michael Irvin’s wife, Sandy, has early on-set Alzheimer’s disease, interest in learning more about her and her condition has grown.
Irvin keeps his personal life quite private – and even managed to keep his wife’s diagnosis under wraps for at least five years.
What we do know about the couple is that they met in the 1980s at the University of Miami and got married in 1990 in his third NFL season. They have three children together: Michael Jr., Elijah, and Chelsea.
It was last week, when Irvin announced the opening of his Playmaker88 restaurant that he revealed his wife’s health issue. The Hall-of-Famer said he even hired away a chef to his restaurant that made Sandy’s favorite chicken wings.
Irvin said that he has no plans to put his wife in a nursing home, telling the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, ‘If anyone has earned the right to stay in her house, MY WIFE HAS!!!. That I shall honor. No matter what it takes.’
All these steps are honorable and deserved after Irvin’s very controversial public life that saw multiple accusations – but no convictions – of sexual assault and misconduct.
He’s also been in trouble for drug use and even had an incident where he stabbed a teammate in the neck with scissors – but didn’t face any charges.
These are just some of the examples of trouble that the ‘Playmaker’ has gotten himself into – all while his loyal wife stood by his side as a pillar of consistency in Irvin’s life.
1996 False Sexual Assault Allegation
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The first time that Michael Irvin was accused of sexual assault, it was proved that the accuser was lying.
Back in 1996, just before the Cowboys were set to play the Panthers in an NFC Divisional round playoff game, media reports began circulating that Irvin and teammate Erik Williams sexually assaulted a Dallas cheerleader, Nina Shahravan.
The two men were accused of pointing a gun at Shahravan’s head and videotaping the interaction all while they were under the influence of cocaine.
Both Irvin and Williams denied the allegations – with it later being proved that Shahravan completely fabricated the whole incident.
She recanted her story, pled guilty to filing a false police report and perjury, and was sentenced to 90 days in jail as well as a fine.
1996 Cocaine Incident
The year 1996 was a troublesome one for Irvin, with his alleged penchant for using cocaine catching up to him – and not for the last time.
In March of that year, Dallas police found Irvin in a hotel room with a friend of his, two topless dancers, and 10.3 grams of cocaine among other drugs and paraphernalia.
After being indicted for misdemeanor marijuana possession, Irvin was also charged with felony possession of at least four grams of cocaine.
That July, he pled no contest to those second-degree cocaine possession charges in exchange for four years deferred probation, a $10,000 fine, and the dismissal of the marijuana charges he was facing.
‘Scissorgate’
Back in the summer of 1998, Cowboys offensive lineman Everett McIver was sitting in a barber’s chair getting a haircut.
When Irvin walked in, he told McIver to get up from the chair so he wouldn’t have to wait his turn.
That led to a brawl in the shop that led to their Cowboys teammate, Leon Lett, trying to break it up.
It was in the course of that brawl that Irvin grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed McIver in the neck. The wide receiver only barely missed the lineman’s carotid artery.
After intervention from team owner Jerry Jones, a six-figure settlement was reached in exchange for McIver not pressing any criminal charges – which was crucial as Irvin was still on probation for the previously mentioned cocaine incident.
Cocaine arrest, 2001
Only a few months after his probation had finished, in June of 2001, Irvin was arrested once again for felony cocaine possession.
After police forcibly entered a North Dallas apartment, they found Irvin with an unrelated woman and once again found marijuana, cocaine, and other drugs.
Irvin turned himself into police and was arraigned on those felony charges again, but they were later dropped.
Misdemeanor arrest, 2005
In November of 2005, with Irvin long-since retired from the game, he was pulled over in Plano, Texas for speeding.
He was arrested on an outstanding warrant for an unpaid speeding ticket in Irving, Texas and was also cited for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
That came after police searched his car and found a pipe and plastic bags with marijuana residue.
Despite the arrest, Irvin appeared on that week’s episode of ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown – however he was suspended for the shows the following week.
Sexual assault allegation, 2007
Back in July of 2007, Irvin was accused of sexual assault while at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
The woman accusing Irvin reported the incident to Seminole tribal police, but later signed a waiver of prosecution – meaning she wouldn’t pursue criminal charges.
While charges were not filed, a civil suit was filed against him in 2010.
According to the suit, Irvin got the woman drunk and took her to his hotel room where he and another man insisted on sexual favors. The woman claimed Irvin raped her and the other person forced her to have oral sex with him.
Irvin denied the incident and countersued for $100million. A settlement was reached in 2011 and both suits were eventually dropped.
Sexual assault allegation, 2017
Irvin was accused of sexual assault in Florida again – nearly ten years after the previous allegation.
A 27-year-old woman accused the Hall-of-Famer of drugging and raping her. Irvin, again, denied any wrongdoing.
Investigations by the Broward County sheriff’s office found that the alleged victim’s rape kit test taken at a local hospital came back negative. Additionally, a toxicology report showed the woman had amphetamines and cocaine as well as other drugs and alcohol in her system.
Eventually, county officials announced they wouldn’t charge Irvin in the case as ‘it is clear there is not enough evidence to establish that a crime was committed.’
Sexual misconduct allegation, 2023
The latest incident involving Irvin came in the run up to Super Bowl LVII back in February of 2023 in Arizona.
Irvin was accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward an employee at the Renaissance Phoenix Hotel and Spa – leading to a complaint being filed against the former wide receiver.
As a result of this, NFL Network removed Irvin from its coverage of the big game and did not reinstate him until the start of the new season.
Irvin sued Marriott International (which owned the hotel) and six other parties – including a Jane Doe – for defamation and tortious interference. He denied any wrongdoing in the situation.
The case was eventually settled in September of 2023 – leading to Irvin’s reinstatement back on the airwaves of NFL Network.