#Ezekiel Elliott threatens to sue Sports Illustrated over weed story controversy

The Dallas Cowboys star running back threatened to sue Sports Illustrated on Monday after the famed magazine ran a column online with the headline, “Ezekiel Elliott Forgets to Log Off, Admits to Being High on Twitch: Traina Thoughts.”

The opinion piece was written by sports media columnist Jimmy Traina in response to a video that went viral Monday in which Elliott said he was “low-key faded,” slang that is sometimes associated with being under the influence of alcohol and marijuana simultaneously.

“Actually I was referring to the few drinks I had which I said during the live stream. Doesn’t that make this defamation? You guys will [be] hearing from my lawyers @SInow,” Elliott tweeted Monday.

Elliott made the “faded” comment after appearing to forget to log off Twitch, the popular video game streaming platform.

“Bro, I’m low-key faded,” the 24-year-old said while looking at his phone, before turning to his computer and realizing, “Oh no, I didn’t even end my stream yet.”

Elliott in a series of tweets went after the magazine, which has been gutted by layoffs in recent years.

“I expect that from little gossip site but Sports Illustrated? REALLY?” Elliott wrote.

The Sports Illustrated story was deleted shortly after Elliott’s retort. Traina also deleted a tweet from his account referencing the story.

While Traina did not expressly write that Elliott admitted to being under the influence of marijuana, he wrote, “After wearing a mask and social distancing, the most important thing in life to remember is to always make sure you are logged off before you start riffing,” which was an apparent reference to smoking weed.

Traina and Sports Illustrated did not immediately return a request for comment.

The media company Maven acquired the digital publishing rights to Sports Illustrated in 2019.

Elliott’s run-in with SI marks the latest chapter in a messy offseason for the three-time Pro Bowler.

In April, he and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott were criticized for partying in Texas during a state-wide quarantine due to the coronavirus.

Elliott tested positive for the coronavirus in June and has not yet been cleared to work out. He was livid after his positive test was leaked to the media, citing HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which prohibits doctors from sharing personal medical information without that person’s consent.

Elliott is also being sued for more than $200,000 by a woman who claimed his dogs violently attacked her while she cleaned the star’s pool in March. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Elliott has never been punished by the NFL under the league’s substance abuse policy, which was altered in March as part of the new collective bargaining agreement , and no longer suspends players for positive marijuana tests.

During his rookie season in 2016, Elliott was criticized after he was spotted at a Seattle marijuana dispensary before a preseason game.

“It was a bad decision,” Elliott told reporters at the time. “Just seen it walking around. Was curious. I didn’t really think about it before I went in, what the repercussions could have been. It wasn’t like I was trying to hide it or anything. I took pictures with people. It wasn’t like I was up to no good.”

Elliott signed a six-year, $90 million contract last fall, with $50 million guaranteed.