Getty Damar Hamlin looks on during a Buffalo Bills preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin hit back at Antonio Brown after the former NFL wide receiver launched a strange attack on social media.
Brown shared a post on X in response to someone who asked what “fictional character’s death that you have not gotten over.” The NFL legend responded with a picture of Hamlin, an apparent callback to the odd conspiracy theory that surfaced following the Bills safety’s on-field collapse in January 2023 that claimed he had actually died and been replaced by a look-alike “clone.”
Hamlin took issue with Brown’s post, calling out the former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver in what became a viral spat.
Damar Hamlin: ‘I Used to Look Up to You’
Hamlin responded to the statement from Brown, claiming that the wide receiver was upset because Hamlin had not responded to his private messages. Hamlin blasted Brown as “burnt out” and turned the “clone” attack back against him.
“You just [direct message] me on Monday?” Hamlin wrote on X. “Guess you playing lame games on Twitter with my situation because I ain’t DM you back. I pray God don’t ever let me turn into a burnt out old head like you… I used to look up to you damn near s*** sad [for real]. Talk bout a clone bring the real AB back!”
Hamlin continued to express disappointment in Brown, advising him to log off social media and do something better with his time.
“Been in my DM over a year talking to yourself,” Hamlin added. “You was supposed to be an example setter. Now you the biggest weirdo we know! Get off twitter & go do some work with some kids or something. #PrayForAB”
The spat between the two attracted some viral attention, with others joining to admonish Brown for his revival of the conspiracy theory.
Brown has been no stranger to controversy, dating back to his final seasons in the NFL. He was suspended for eight games in 2020 for violations of the league’s personal conduct policy, then suspended another three games in 2021 for faking his COVID-19 vaccination status.
Brown’s NFL career came to a bizarre end in January 2022 when he ripped off his jersey and walked off the field during a game against the New York Jets. Brown was then released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brown’s troubles continued after his NFL career came to an end. He was arrested in October 2023 for allegedly failing to pay child support in Florida.
Damar Hamlin Takes on Conspiracy Theorists
This is not the first time that Hamlin has addressed the conspiracy theories that arose in the wake of his on-field collapse in a January 2, 2023, game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Though Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after taking a hard hit to the chest and had to be rushed to the hospital, he eventually made a full recovery and was back on Buffalo’s active roster last season.
“Clone” 🥷🏽
Close to three weeks after the incident, after he had been released from the hospital and was in the early stages of his recovery process, Hamlin shared a picture of himself standing in front of a mural in his likeness. In the caption, Hamlin wrote the word “Clone.”