Johnny Manziel accused of causing thousands of dollars in damage to rental house
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel and his friends “were consuming drugs and alcohol” and caused thousands of dollars in damage to a Los Angeles home he rented out for two nights earlier this month, according to a letter from the lawyer representing the property owner obtained by Paste BN Sports.
“Despite Mr. Manziel's assurances to my client that the rental was to be used strictly for his own personal and private use, surveillance footage shows that Mr. Manziel threw large parties on both nights, causing extensive damage to the subject property,” attorney Niki Ghazian worte in the letter.
Ghazian asked for $31,580 in a letter sent to Manziel’s attorney, Bradley Beckworth, on Monday. Ghazian represents LA Exotic Life, a company that “specializes in renting exotic villas, vehicles, jets and more,” according to its website.
Manziel's longtime attorney, Jim Darnell, ripped the information leaking about the alleged damage that was first reported by The New York Post, a story which included pictures of the residence in disrepair.
“I’m not sure what their motivations are, but legitimate legal claims are rarely negotiated in the tabloids," Darnell said in a statement provided to Paste BN Sports by Manziel spokesperson Denise Michaels. "A request for payment was forwarded to me and I was in the midst of checking its credibility and determining what, if any, payment was warranted when they decided to put out these pictures.”
Ghazian told Paste BN Sports that she reached out to Darnell's Texas office "several times before anything hit the press."
"We discussed this matter by phone and email," Ghazian said. "While our position has been to resolve this matter amicably, Mr. Darnell and his client have failed to cooperate with our negotiation attempts."
The letter was addressed to Bradley Beckworth, another Texas lawyer who represented Manziel in the past.
Los Angeles police responded to the home after noise complaints by neighbors on April 6, Ghazian wrote.
“They were supposed to check out at noon,” Nicholas Goodwin, who owns LA Exotic Life, told the newspaper. “Manziel was passed out."
Manziel stayed at the home April 4-6 and agreed to pay an additional $5,000 per night if there were more than 15 guests in the house. Ghazian asked Manziel to pay $5,000 per night ($10,000 total) and $2,000 in attorney’s fees as part of the total amount sought.
Ghazian listed the damage allegedly caused by Manziel and his guests:
- Extensive burn marks from cigarettes and marijuana, which were found on the living room floor; $8,000 replacement fee
- Large wine stains that cannot be removed, in the upstairs master bedroom; $8,500 replacement fee
- Broken Glass Table; $2,400 replacement fee.
- Broken Bathroom Door; $650.
- Broken Glasses; $30.
Manziel’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, terminated his contract with Manziel this week, saying he would reconsider if Manziel gets help.
