Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has spoken out following his home invasion that was reported to authorities by model Olivia Ponton on December 9.
“So obviously everyone heard what happened,” the 28-year-old NFL star said at a Bengals press conference two days later.
“I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one, and there’s already a lot more out there than I would like and feel like sharing, so that’s all I have to say about that,” he continued.
On Monday, an unknown intruder broke into the NFL star’s home in Anderson Township, Ohio. Burrow was away in Texas that day for his team’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Ponton, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, arrived at Burrow’s house shortly afterwards.
A police report obtained by TMZ Sports noted that the robbery was reported by a 22-year-old woman at 8:14 p.m. According to the transcript of the phone call, the woman on the phone said that upon arrival she saw a “shattered bedroom window” and a “ransacked” room.
“Someone broke into my house… It’s like it’s all messed up,” she continued to tell police.
Ponton allegedly called her mother Diane, who was asked to call the police. In Diane’s audio she says: “Someone is trying to break into the house right now. My daughter is here. This is Joe Burrow’s house. She’s staying there. He’s at the football game. She wonders what to do, whether to hide or go out.”
According to the Sheriff’s Office, Ponton provided deputies with a rough list of missing items.
There is no explanation as to why Ponton was at Burrow’s home other than Hamilton Country Sheriff’s Office documents describing her as one of Burrow’s employees.
According to Burrow, he has been in a relationship with Olivia Holzmacher since 2015 Sports illustrated. Fans speculated that the pair were engaged last summer after Holzmacher tagged the footballer in an Instagram post with an engagement ring.
Asked if he was frustrated that his personal information had been leaked since the incident, Burrow told reporters: “We live a public life, and you know, one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy and that’s been difficult for me to deal with my entire career.
‘I’m still learning, but I understand it’s a life we choose. That doesn’t make it any easier to deal with,” he continued during the press conference on Wednesday.
Burrow’s burglary is the latest in a series of burglaries targeting NFL and NBA athletes. In October, the homes of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were hit one day apart. Both players were with their teams in New Orleans playing against the Saints.
“It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing,” Mahomes admitted. “I can’t go into too much detail because the investigation is still ongoing,” he said during a Kansas City Chiefs press conference on Nov. 13.
Milwaukee Bucks star Bobby Portis’ home was burglarized on Nov. 2, just over a month and a half after Minnesota Timberwolves player Mike Conley Jr. it was broken into on September 15.
