Terrell Owens Denies Suicide Attempt Claim

(NewsCore) - Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens said Thursday his assistant was wrong when she told a 911 operator he had overdosed on painkillers in an apparent suicide attempt.

The incident occurred Oct. 6, when Owens' female assistant reported that his breathing was shallow and he was barely awake after taking prescription painkillers, according to audio of the 911 call posted by TMZ.

The dispatcher later asked, "Was this a suicide attempt?" and she responded, "Yes, I believe so."

In a statement, Owens' representative Diana Bianchini told the entertainment website, "Terrell Owens absolutely did not attempt suicide nor did he attempt to overdose on pills on Oct. 6, 2011.

"The facts are that [the assistant] arrived at his home that evening after he had already taken a sleeping aid to fall asleep. He was unresponsive because of this.

"Unaware he had taken a sleeping aid prior to her arrival, his assistant became concerned and decided to call 911.

"When the ambulance and police arrived, Owens was responsive and was not held in the hospital. Reports released with the 911 call [Thursday] are misleading and not factual."

In Sept. 2006, his first season with the Dallas Cowboys, Owens was hospitalized for overdosing on painkillers, though he denied it was a suicide attempt. He instead maintained he had a bad reaction to the medication.

News of the latest incident comes two days after Owens held a televised workout in California, hoping to convince an NFL team to sign him after suffering an offseason knee injury, but no team sent a scout to watch the workout and none have expressed interest in signing the six-time Pro Bowler.

The 37-year-old did, however, receive a $400-a-week offer from the Arena Football League's Chicago Rush.

Owens has played for five teams in 15 seasons. He amassed 983 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals last season, moving into second on the all-time receiving yards list behind Jerry Rice at 15,934.

Read more: TMZ