49ers legend who blew $80m fortune calls out ESPN after accusing manager of stealing from him

Terrell Owens has accused his former manager, Heather Mesalam, of stealing from him.

The NFL legend, who earned $80 million during his Hall of Fame career before blowing most of his money on flashy cars and ‘idiotic’ purchases, took to social media Sunday to blast his once-close associate.

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“A PERSON CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH,” Owens noted in the caption of a still-public Instagram post, which shared alleged text messages appearing to support his accusations.

“Growing up, my grandmama said there are two people she can’t stand… A LIAR and A THIEF… When you’re managing someone’s affairs and getting paid to do it, you have to be accountable for it!

“I haven’t always used my voice when I should, but I GOT TIME TODAY.”

Owens went on to claim that he had gone back-and-forth over whether or not to accuse Mesalam publicly, but insisted if the situation was flipped, that sports networks like ESPN would be running with the story.

The NFL icon had a notoriously volatile relationship with the media during his playing days, and often felt unfairly villainized.

“If ‘I’ had stolen from someone, I’d be ALL OVER the news, media, talking heads at ESPN would be having a field day with it along with blogs where my reputation and character would be questioned and destroyed,” the former San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys wideout continued.

“With the recent deaths of football players by suicide, and for my own mental sanity, I need to get this off my chest.”

“Heather Mesalam (mezchick), it’s people like you that think that you can just steal from me and think that you’re going to get away with it.

“Trust me, with ALL that I’ve been through with former agents like Drew and Jason Rosenhaus, the financial advisor Jeff Rubin that they referred me to upon signing with them where they mismanaged football earnings, paying extraordinary child support payments and more, I PRAY THAT THE DEVIL DON’T TRICK ME AND I GIVE IN.

“MAMA, I’m gonna be alright. WE are gonna be alright. Don’t stress yourself worrying about me. It’s getting handled.

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“It’s stuff like this that people don’t see and may consider small but it’s what triggers us as athletes and those that have committed suicide in what some call, a selfish act.

“I’m posting this because mezchick has handled my business affairs for 15-plus years and I discovered on last Oct 3rd that she had stolen from me.

“The video screenshot puts everything in perspective.

“In closing, I want to thank (Paul Aloise) for helping me address this matter and transition from #mezchick (Heather Mesalam), who stole from me and (is) no longer working for me in any capacity.”

According to Owens’ statement, Mesalam had been managing his business affairs dating back to 2011, and he had been paying $1,300 a month for her services.

Screenshots he shared as part of the post showed the payment had jumped to $1,500 per month.

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“Without my knowledge…that’s stealing,” Owens texted Mesalam, one of the messages he shared.

In the response that followed, Mesalam vehemently denied Owens’ accusations, insisting she doesn’t ‘steal’ from her clients.

It’s unclear from the caption if T.O. will be pursuing legal action, but it appears he’s cut ties with Mesalam.

talkSPORT has reached out to Mesalam for comment.

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Owens’ money issues have been well documented in the past, with the six-time Pro Bowler said to have squandered much of his earnings.

What did Terrell Owens learn from blowing NFL earnings?

He amassed a total fortune just shy of $80m in salary from the 49ers and Cowboys, as well as from stints with the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals.

However, he’s now said to have an estimated net worth of around $500,000, having experienced personal and financial difficulties after retiring from the NFL.

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In a 2018 interview with CNBC, Owens discussed what he’d learned from blowing through his earnings.

“My advice to any fan or athlete out there: Just don’t live beyond your means,” he said.

“At that time I got sucked into wanting to be like everybody else, the guys with the Mercedes and all the flashy cars and the jewelry.

“I think those are some of the most idiotic purchases I think players can do, especially when they don’t have that money in the bank account to really pay for that stuff.”

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