FRISCO – Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott’s public response to an accusation of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend: “Evil NEVER prevails.’’
It would be nice if the situation turns out to be that clear and clean … but that’s unlikely, because no matter what the truth is, a domestic-violence accusation is horrible.
“Horrible’’ if it’s true, obviously, and the woman — who filed a report with the Columbus, Ohio, police department on Friday morning 
accusing Elliott of assaulting her while she was sitting in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle — must be seriously listened to by the authorities.
But “horrible,’’ too, if the accusation is untrue — certainly a possibility because of the apparent holes in the story coming from a woman who listed her occupation with police as “sex slave’’ — because even an unfounded charge of this level can haunt a person for their entire professional and personal life.
Elliott was not arrested and has not been charged with a crime. His father Stacy issued a statement proclaiming the innocence of his son, the former Ohio State star who denied to police that he assaulted the woman and denied that she had been his live-in girlfriend, too … the latter issue clouded by Elliott’s concession that he paid for the woman’s apartment and her car.
The woman initially posted images on Instagram showing what she claimed were bruises caused by Elliott’s assault. But the police spoke to four witnesses, who all denied seeing an assault. And there is the suggestion that the woman’s bruises were actually the result of a fight she had with another female, possibly somebody else Elliott is dating.
The Cowboys’ position? They’ve dealt all-too-often with these sort of stories and aren’t issuing comment right now. But privately they are unconcerned about the character of the player and are aware that Elliott’s claim that he has text messages from the woman essentially pledging to blackmail the player should he end their relationship.
Elliott — who was greeted with these charges in conjunction with his 21st birthday on Friday — deserves to be scrutinized, at the least, for his choice in “friends.” And the Cowboys hope that’s the worst of it. But whether he’s innocent or whether he’s guilty … abuse of this sort is horrible … just as it is horrible when alleged victims make up stories of abuse of this sort.
