Greg Hardy finally broke his silence following the release of photos this past week from the night he allegedly attacked his former girlfriend, Nicole Holder, and it was a classically weak apology.
"Just had to say I express my regret 4 what happened in past and I'm Dedicated to being the best person & teammate that I can be," he tweeted.
While Hardy appeared to apologize with his first comment, he then tweeted the following, proving he still doesn’t quite see the difference between playing a game and treating a fellow human with respect, tweeting: "but mostly I am Grateful 4 the opportunity to play in NFL #GodBlessHookyStreet"
The 27-year-old had his record wiped clean of his 2014 domestic abuse conviction. However, the photos of the damage he reportedly inflicted on his then-girlfriend Nicole Holder tell a story that can never be forgotten. The graphic images of that led to his arrest were posted online, showing how the NFL player nearly beat a woman to death.
The incident, in which Hardy was accused of slamming Holder, choking her, and throwing her onto a couch full of assault rifles, kept Hardy out of 15 of 16 games last season on the commissioner's exemption list and four games in a suspension this season.
The photos, obtained by Deadspin, were published on November 7, a day after Greg Hardy’s domestic violence charge erased from his criminal record. The documents also detail the abusive two-year long relationship between Nicole and Greg, leading to the May 12, 2014 incident where she fled his Charlotte, North Carolina apartment while barefoot.
The report documents Holder's account of the night, based on police reports. She describes a long night of drinking and partying at several bars with cocaine use. Afterward, Hardy, Holder, and several other people were back at Hardy's apartment when Holder claims Hardy snapped and began yelling at her.
When she tried to defend herself, Hardy allegedly began hitting her, throwing her into a bathtub, dragging her on the ground, and later slamming her onto the couch with the guns, then choking her.
When Hardy stopped, she fled his apartment without shoes, until she was found by a police officer. When asked why she was crying, Nicole said, “It doesn’t matter. Nothing is going to happen to him.” Greg denied the claims and said that Nicole was the one who attacked him first, according to the NY Daily News.
Greg was convicted of assault and communicating threats on July 15, 2014. The NFL then suspended Greg, and he missed all but the first game of the 2014-15 season. He was deactivated and ultimately let go by the Carolina Panthers and he signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Greg appealed the conviction, requesting a trial by jury.
