- Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jordan Payton has been accused of grabbing a server by the collar at Los Angeles restaurant Delilah, and balling up his fist as if to punch him.
- Insider learned this while reporting on an unrelated incident at the restaurant described in a lawsuit that names the singer Drake among its defendants.
- Payton strongly denies the accusation.
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Insider recently published a story detailing the close relationship between Drake and Los Angeles nightlife company The H.Wood Group, and the beating last year of a server who is now suing the company and the rapper.
While digging into the story, we uncovered another incident, this one involving former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jordan Payton. Former employees said they saw him nearly come to blows with a server when he was denied more drinks at H.Wood restaurant Delilah in late 2016 or early 2017.
Former Delilah employees described Payton as a friend of H.Wood co-owner John Terzian, who allowed the football player to get “VIP treatment” at his establishments.
Two witnesses said that one night, Payton came in and got so drunk that a server was forced to cut him off.
Payton got angry and in response, grabbed the server by his collar with one hand and balled up the other as if he was going to punch him. Luckily, the situation de-escalated before coming to blows.
Not long after, Payton was back to eating at the restaurant regularly. Multiple former employees said that anytime Payton came in, the server in question was moved to a different section or taken off the floor.
"Instead of telling him, 'Hey, you can't come in anymore, you're trying to fight our employees,' they flipped it, which is crazy," one former employee said.
Payton strongly denied the story, saying "I've never touched anyone at [H.Wood]." The H.Wood Group declined to comment through their PR firm EMC Bowery.
The incident is part of what some former employees see as a trend - instances where they felt the needs of H.Wood's VIPs had been put above the safety and general wellbeing of the restaurant group's employees.
"It's client-based - clients first, employees last," one former employee said.
In another troubling example unearthed by Insider, former employees told us about an incident in which a bottle service girl was brought outside and into an SUV by MMA fighter Conor McGregor's entourage, resulting in a manager threatening to call 911.
There's also the incident that prompted Insider's investigation. Last year, TMZ released surveillance footage of a man being assaulted outside Delilah. That man later turned out to be Delilah server Bennett Sipes, who had come to the restaurant on his night off. He has since filed a lawsuit against The H.Wood Group and several notable people who were there that night - Drake, current Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and Kourtney Kardashian's ex Younes Bendjima. Bendjima is seen on the surveillance footage hitting Sipes, while the other two men are accused by Sipes of encouraging the attack.
- Read more:
- Drake may be the nice guy of rap, but a history of violence has followed him
- New video raises doubts about whether Ravens defender 'choked' Odell Beckham Jr during on-field scuffle
- The Browns nearly pulled off the play of the NFL season with a triple-reverse and a 60-yard pass from Odell Beckham Jr.
- Drake has been named the No. 5 richest rapper in the world with a $150 million net worth - here's a look at how he got there
