Former standout NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, whose last opportunity with the Miami Dolphins was cut short thanks to a domestic abuse charge, is still on the mind of ex-wife Evelyn Lozada.
Lozada, former reality television star on Basketball Wives, and the victim of a Johnson headbutt, gave an interview to Nightline in which she discussed the ups and downs of her relationship with Johnson.
"It's the hardest thing in the world to walk away from someone that you really love," Lozada said. "But you have to walk away because I have to protect myself."
Lozada, whose face was left badly bruised and swollen from her ex-husband's assault, says she refuses to talk to him and will not be getting back together with the ex-NFL star. She also admitted that had the assault not been so public, it is likely she would've returned to Johnson and swept the incident "under the rug."
For photos of the aftermath of Johnson's headbutt click here
"I believe he loves me. I believe he needs to get help," she said. "He's a good guy that made a bad choice. He loves football and he's very driven and a great dad. He made a bad choice that destroyed his life, and I hate that I'm connected to that."
Lozada was headbutted by Johnson, formerly known as Chad Ochocinco, after she found a receipt in his car for a toothbrush holder and a box of condoms. The argument got Johnson angry, and Lozada described what happened next.
"And then the next thing I know, he grabbed me by here [pointing to her head] and he head-butted me," Lozada said. "I felt blood coming down my face... and I looked at him and I said, 'You just head-butted me?' And it just -- everything just felt if it was in slow motion."
"I said to myself, 'I'm never going to go through that again, ever,'" Lozada said. "I don't think any woman should ever have to feel like that or be fearful of her husband."
Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time First Team All-Pro, is now 35 years old and unlikely to latch on to another team ever again.
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