Often celebrated as one of the most exceptional athletes in the National Football League's (NFL) history and a crucial figure in the civil rights movement, Jim Brown's legacy has been persistently clouded by a litany of accusations, ranging from physical abuse to sexual assault.

The celebrated Cleveland Browns running back, who passed away on May 18 at the age of 87, had a history of legal entanglements that paralleled his impressive professional achievements.

Brown ended his NFL career prematurely in 1965 at 29 to venture into Hollywood, starring in films such as "The Dirty Dozen." However, his record off the field soon began to rival his accomplishments on it. The very year he retired, he faced accusations of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman who alleged she was pregnant with his child. However, after a ten-day trial, the jury acquitted him.

Over the following years, Brown was faced with a slew of allegations, including assault with the intention to commit murder in 1968, and assault and battery in 1969. Despite the severity of these charges, the victims declined to testify, and the charges were consequently dismissed.

Brown's tumultuous past did not end there. He served a day in jail and was put on a two-year probation for assaulting and strangling a golfing associate in 1978. In 1986, he faced charges for choking his girlfriend, who subsequently declined to press charges.

In 1999, his wife Monique phoned 911, alleging that Brown had threatened her life and vandalized her car with a shovel. The 6-foot-1 powerhouse received a sentence of three years probation, one year of domestic violence counseling, and 400 hours of community service. Later, he spent four months behind bars for non-compliance with the sentence's conditions.

Reflecting on Brown's checkered past, a sports insider remarked, "If Jim had been accused of all this terrible violence in today's climate, society would have ostracized him. However, those were different times."