Judge shuts down Mark Gastineaus $25 million lawsuit against ESPN over Brett Favre drama

Mark Gastineau isn’t used to getting stonewalled when he gets after something.The former star Jets pass rusher’s $25 million lawsuit against ESPN centering on the viral clip in a “30 For 30” episode of him confronting Brett Favre has been dismissed with prejudice, according to TMZ.Gastineau sued the Worldwide Leader last March for its presentation of him in that scene from the “30 For 30: The New York Sack Exchange” documentary, but a judge ruled, per TMZ, “that Gastineau consented, in writing, to the use of his name and likeness in the film and related promotional materials.”“The exchange between them concerned a venerated NFL record, the incident featured prominently in the film, and, as the film reflects, Gastineau’s aggressive conduct appears to have driven a wedge within the Sack Exchange quartet that was the subject of the film[,]” judge Paul Engelmayer wrote, per the outlet.Gastineau, 69, took aim at ESPN for airing a clip that showed him confronting Brett Favre at the Chicago Sports Spectacular in 2023 in which he alleged that Favre did Michael Strahan a favor by letting the Giants defensive end sack him to break Gastineau’s then-single-season sack record during the 2001 season.There are plenty of others who agree with that sentiment, and Gastineau told Favre in the clip: “When you fell down for him.… You really hurt me.

You hurt me, Brett.”Favre didn’t admit to going down on purpose to help the ex-Giant, but essentially said he didn’t do what he could to prevent the historic sack.“But at no point was I thinking about hurting Gastineau,” Favre wrote on X last year.“Maybe it crossed my mind to help Strahan.

I didn’t think it through.That wasn’t my forte at the time.”Gastineau’s lawsuit claimed ESPN included that footage without his “consent or permission,” and he alleged that they “intentionally and maliciously did not publish” the two shaking hands.He added that the clip led to him being “attacked ...