‘Never been violent’: Coach defends controversy magnet Mitchell Pearce – after he sent flirty texts to a young female staffer and weeks before his planned wedding
- Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien on Tuesday said Pearce had never been violent
- O’Brien slammed the former captain’s critics who ‘just keep coming at him’
- O’Brien said Pearce had made some ‘stupid mistakes’ which he has owned up to
Mitchell Pearce’s coach has come to his defence after he was caught sending flirty texts to a young female staffer weeks before his wedding.
The former Newcastle Knights captain stood down as figurehead of the club after it came to light he sent text messages just days before he was due to marry his fiancee Kristin Scott.
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien on Tuesday backed Pearce, saying he had never been violent before slamming his critics who ‘just keep coming at him’.
Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien on Tuesday said Pearce had never been violent before slamming his critics who ‘just keep coming at him’
Ms Scott shared a picture of herself with Pearce after a State of Origin series win in 2019
The ceremony was meant to be held in Byron Bay before 150 guests but it was called off at the last minute, with some guests getting less than a week’s notice of the changed plans
‘The thing I admire most about him is that he has never made an excuse and has always fronted up. They are human beings, even the best players, even the leaders, even the captains, they’re still human beings, and they make mistakes,’ O’Brien told the Daily Telegraph.
‘I need to word this carefully, because I don’t want to get anyone off-side, but he has never been violent. Yes, he has hurt people close to him but he’s never had to front up for being violent.’
O’Brien admitted Pearce had made some ‘stupid, stupid mistakes’ which he has owned up to, but said he is ‘not a bad person’.
Pearce, 31, admitted the media fanfare over the texting scandal was ‘pretty warranted’ and said criticism off the field has been the ‘story of my career’.
The glamour couple were scheduled to tie the knot at a lavish ceremony in front of 150 guests on December 29 last year, but the wedding was called off at the last minute after the 31-year-old halfback was caught up in a sexting scandal. Pictured: Mitchell Pearce and Kristin Scott
Pearce and Scott were scheduled to tie the knot at a lavish ceremony in front of 150 guests on December 29 last year, but the wedding was called off at the last minute after the halfback was caught up in the sexting scandal.
Pearce initially claimed the nuptials were postponed due to coronavirus but reports emerged the inappropriate messages to the young woman caused the couple to pull the pin.
The fallout from the sexting scandal threatened to derail the Knights’ preparation for the upcoming season after it was revealed some senior players were furious at Pearce.
Hard-running second rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon admitted he was ‘angry’ at the time as he’s a close friend of the club staffer’s long-term boyfriend.
But the 26-year-old said the two have ‘buried the hatchet’ and the Knights’ playmaker has now been forgiven.
Pearce initially claimed the nuptials were postponed due to coronavirus but reports emerged the inappropriate messages to the young woman caused the couple to pull the pin
Pearce initially claimed the nuptials were postponed due to coronavirus but it has now been confirmed, the alleged inappropriate messages to the young woman caused the couple to pull the pin
‘You can be angry at them for a period of time and that was certainly the case but you get over it and get on with it and that’s what we’ve done,’ Fitzgibbon told the Newcastle Herald.
He then relinquished his captaincy to spend more time mending his relationship with his fiancee.
‘For me it’s been a traumatic few weeks for my personal life and those I love,’ Pearce said at a media conference in January.
‘Unfortunately my actions have impacted the team and more importantly the people I have closest to me, Kristin and my family.
‘I’m taking steps now to address these issues and I feel it would be in the best interests of the club for me to step down as captain this season.’
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