It’s one of those videos that just sticks in your brain. You probably remember where you were when the TMZ alert popped up in late 2018. It wasn't just another headline about an athlete getting into trouble; it was visceral. A star running back, the NFL’s reigning rushing leader, caught on high-definition surveillance footage in a hallway.
The clip was brutal. It showed Kareem Hunt—then the cornerstone of the Kansas City Chiefs' high-powered offense—getting into a heated altercation with a 19-year-old woman named Abigail Ottinger. The footage didn't leave much to the imagination. You saw the shoving. You saw the struggle. And then, the moment that essentially ended his career in Kansas City: Kareem Hunt kicks woman while she is crouched on the floor.
Honestly, the fallout was instant. Within hours, the Chiefs didn't just bench him—they cut him. One of the best players in the league was suddenly unemployed and toxic. But the story isn't just about those 79 seconds of footage. It’s about the lies, the "cross-complaints," and a system that somehow let the video sit in a drawer for months before the public ever saw it.
The Night at The Metropolitan: February 10, 2018
To understand why this blew up so hard, you have to go back to the actual night. It was about 3:22 a.m. at The Metropolitan at the 9, a luxury hotel/apartment complex in downtown Cleveland. Hunt had a place there.
The backstory is messy. According to police reports, Hunt and his friends had been out on a party bus with Ottinger and her friend. Things soured back at the hotel. Hunt’s camp claimed the women were asked to leave because they were underage (Ottinger was a student at Kent State at the time). Ottinger, meanwhile, told police she was kicked out because she "didn't want" one of the men in Hunt's entourage.
The situation devolved into a screaming match in the hallway.
The video picks up with Hunt coming out of his room, looking agitated. He shoves Ottinger. She hits him back—a strike to the face that clearly sets him off. From there, it’s chaos. Hunt’s friends try to hold him back, but he’s a professional athlete; he’s stronger than they are. At one point, he barrels into a man, who then crashes into Ottinger, sending her to the ground.
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Then came the kick. While she was on the floor, dazed, Hunt delivered a kick to her leg.
Why weren't there charges?
This is the part that still confuses people. If there’s a video of an NFL player kicking a woman, how did he not go to jail?
The Cleveland Police Department basically treated it as a "cross-complaint."
- Ottinger called the cops on Hunt.
- Hunt’s friend called the cops on Ottinger.
- Hunt’s camp alleged she used racial slurs (which she denied).
- Police saw bruises on Ottinger but also noted she hit Hunt first.
Because nobody wanted to pursue the case to the prosecutor’s office immediately, and because the police reportedly didn't see the video during the initial investigation, the case was closed. No arrests. No charges. Just two police reports gathering dust.
The Lie That Broke the Chiefs' Trust
The NFL and the Chiefs knew an "incident" had happened. They knew police were called. But when the team sat Hunt down and asked him what happened, he didn't tell them the whole truth.
He told them it was just a verbal thing. He said he wasn't really involved.
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The Chiefs chose to believe their star. Even Clark Hunt, the team's owner, went on the record in August 2018 saying Kareem had "learned some lessons" and they didn't expect a suspension. They played him. He was crushing it on the field.
Then TMZ dropped the hammer on November 30, 2018.
The video proved Hunt had looked his bosses in the eye and lied. That’s why the release was so fast. The Chiefs released a statement saying, "Kareem was not truthful in those discussions. The video released today confirms that fact."
He was gone by dinner.
The Aftermath: From KC to Cleveland
If you’re looking for a "cancel culture" case study, this isn't really it. Why? Because Hunt was back in the league pretty fast.
The Cleveland Browns, led by then-GM John Dorsey (who had originally drafted Hunt in KC), signed him in February 2019. It was a huge controversy. People were furious. But the NFL's "Personal Conduct Policy" is a strange beast. Since there were no criminal charges, the league did its own investigation—which included two other minor physical altercations Hunt was involved in—and handed down an eight-game suspension.
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He sat out the first half of the 2019 season. He went to counseling. He did anger management. He stayed out of the headlines for the right reasons for a while.
Was the punishment enough?
It depends on who you ask.
- The "One Strike" Camp: Many fans felt he should never play again. They pointed to the Ray Rice video as the standard—once there's footage, the career is over.
- The "Second Chance" Camp: Others argued that since the kick wasn't a "knockout blow" and he sought treatment, he deserved a path back.
- The Institutional Critique: A lot of the heat stayed on the NFL. People asked: How did TMZ get the video but the multi-billion dollar NFL investigation didn't? The hotel claimed they only gave video to law enforcement. The police said they didn't have it. It made the league look either incompetent or like they weren't actually trying to find the truth.
Where Things Stand Now
It’s been years. Hunt spent a long stretch with the Browns as a reliable backup and "1B" punch to Nick Chubb. He eventually made his way back to the Chiefs in 2024 after injuries decimated their backfield.
It’s a weird full-circle moment for Kansas City fans.
But the "Kareem Hunt kicks woman" search term still peaks every time he has a big game. It’s the asterisk that will never leave his Bio.
Key Takeaways and Insights
If we're looking at what this incident actually changed in the sports world, it's a few specific things:
- Video is King: The NFL has learned that they cannot "clear" a player until they are 100% sure no doorbell cam or hotel security footage exists. The public reaction to seeing the violence is 10x worse than just reading about it.
- Honesty over Legality: For teams, being "not truthful" is often a faster ticket out of town than a misdemeanor. The Chiefs felt embarrassed, and in the NFL, you don't embarrass the guys who sign the checks.
- The "Exempt List" became the standard: Now, when an incident like this happens, players are almost instantly put on the Commissioner's Exempt List (paid leave) while things get sorted. It's the league's "pause button" to avoid another PR disaster.
If you’re following this story to understand the current state of NFL discipline, keep a close eye on how the league handles the "investigative timeline." They are much more aggressive now about subpoenaing footage early.
To stay informed on how these policies affect roster moves and player availability, you should track the NFL’s annual updates to the Personal Conduct Policy, which are usually released or clarified during the league meetings in March. Watching how the Chiefs—or any team—vets "character" during the Draft can also give you a hint at whether the "Kareem Hunt lesson" actually stuck.