Graphic images posted to a woman’s Instagram were accompanied by allegations of rape and violence.
Mason Greenwood, a 20-year-old forward who plays for Manchester United, has been arrested by police on suspicion of rape and assault, following a number of shocking posts on social media.
Video footage, photographs, and a voice note alleging violence originally appeared on the Instagram account of Greenwood’s reported partner, Harriet Robson, but have since been deleted.
In a series of uploads, Robson could be seen with bruises on her face and body, and with blood running from her mouth. One image was captioned “To everyone who wants to know what Mason Greenwood actually does to me.” In an audio file, Robson can be heard telling someone referred to as “Mason” that she did not want to have sex, while the man appears to force her into the act.
Robson’s father has told UK media outlets his daughter’s phone had been “hacked,” that she was “devastated” after her relationship with Greenwood had deteriorated, and that she “didn’t want it [the story] released.”
Greater Manchester Police said it had been made aware of “social media images and videos posted by a woman reporting incidents of physical violence.” It confirmed that a man in his 20s had been arrested on Sunday on suspicion of assault and rape, and that he was in custody and undergoing questioning.
Greater Manchester Police statement: pic.twitter.com/T8guOjRTFk
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) January 30, 2022
Manchester United released a brief statement following the now-deleted posts, saying it did “not condone violence of any kind.” Greenwood has since been suspended from the club “until further notice.” Nike, one of the player’s sponsors, said it was “deeply concerned” and would “continue to monitor” the situation.
The club has now confirmed that Mason Greenwood will not return to training or play matches until further notice. MUST fully support the decision of the club in this regard. https://t.co/rRGe2d0urn
— M.U.S.T (@MU_ST) January 30, 2022
A spokesperson for Nike, who sponsor Mason Greenwood, tells @TheAthleticUK in a statement: “We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
— Gamal Jamil (@Gamalbrb) January 30, 2022
Greenwood has not yet responded to the allegations. The English athlete joined Manchester United in the 2019-2020 season and has since made more than 120 first-team appearances.
