When former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson was arrested for domestic violence after an argument with his then-wife, VH1’s reality star Evelyn Lozada, the world quickly turned on him. Their argument, which reportedly occurred in a vehicle, left Lozada with lacerations on her forehead from a reported headbutt when the police arrived.
Ochocinco was eventually arrested for domestic battery on Aug. 11, 2012, and later cut from the Miami Dolphins. As a result, his NFL career never really got back on track.
However, a person that knows Lozada closely believes that there were some incidents of domestic violence that were perpetrated by Lozada and that Johnson never received any support for what he endured.
“I feel for him, I feel for his situation, I feel for what happened,” said Ogom “OG” Chijindu on the “Reality With the King” podcast. “OG” joined the cast of “Basketball Wives” in Season 7 when the television franchise blended the Miami and LA casts.
“He lost everything dealing with that person. I’m not an advocate for any form of domestic violence. But I’m also not an advocate for domestic violence when a woman is the abuser, and not just men being abusers. It has to go both ways. A lot of times, we will side with the lesser of the two,” OG continued.
Johnson told police that he and his wife accidentally knocked heads, according to police reports at the time, which said the “heated argument” started over a receipt for condoms found in the car by Lozada, who then confronted her husband. Johnson was arrested and sentenced to 12 months probation. Lozada filed for divorce just days later, saying the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”
“So guys get the short end of the stick because they’re bigger, they’re more powerful than the woman, naturally. But that doesn’t mean women are not verbally abusive and women are not physically abusive. It’s not okay whether you’re a male, female, or whatever you choose to identify with. Domestic violence is not okay. You can’t do stuff and be an abuser and then cry wolf.”
Additionally, OG said that Lozada would always mention Ochocinco and communicate with him, which is not typical behavior for an abuse victim. Lozada and “Basketball Wives” executive producer Shaunie O’Neal appeared on Van Lathan’s “The Red Pill Podcast,” where she said if her life depended on it and she could only call an ex to save her, it would be Johnson.
“If this person is your abuser, don’t call them to rescue you if you’re in a life-or-death situation, which we’ve all seen that other person say. It makes no sense mentally,” OG continued. “If this person is your alleged abuser, don’t try to keep tarnishing him.
“That question has yet to be answered. He’s moved on with his life and the situation, but when somebody won’t let go because they’re obsessed with this person, you’ll see it play out. You don’t see Chad sitting in a car crying in a Gucci hat every two seconds. You don’t see that. That man doesn’t have time to do that. He’s got endorsements and everything else.”
