On October 20, 2016, the King County, Washington Sheriff's Office released documents related to a domestic violence case against Brown. In those documents, he admitted to verbally and physically abusing his then-wife, Molly. Giants co-owner John Mara told WFAN in New York City that he re-signed Brown even after he admitted to abusing her in the past. In the face of a firestorm of criticism, the Giants deactivated Brown for their Week 7 game against the Los Angeles Rams in London, and planned to revisit his status after the game.