Paul Manziel, father of ex-Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel, told ESPN’s Josina Anderson Friday that his son “is a druggie” and that jail “would be the best place for him.”
Anderson contacted Paul Manziel after Johnny Manziel’s attorney, Bob Hinton, accidentally texted the Associated Press that he intends to seek a plea deal for the pending assault charges his client is facing but worries about Johnny Manziel’s ability to stay clean.
Hilton texted the AP, among other things, this rather unforgettable line: “Heaven help us if one of the conditions is to pee in a bottle.”
The Browns released Johhny Manziel in March. Since then he’s been seen only on TMZ and other sites that have covered his partying and legal matters. The assault charge stems from a January incident with his ex-girlfriend after which Manziel signed a restraining order barring him from contact with her.
Paul Manziel’s full statement to ESPN read: “He’s a druggie. It’s not a secret that he’s a druggie. I don’t know what to say other than my son is a druggie and he needs help. He just hasn’t seeked it yet. Hopefully he doesn’t die before he comes to his senses. That’s about all you can say. I don’t know what else to say. I hate to say it but I hope he goes to jail. I mean, that would be the best place for him. So we’ll see.”
Per the report, Hinton’s accidental text to the AP Wednesday also said he “was given a receipt by a colleague that purports to show [Johnny] Manziel spent more than $1,000 at a drug paraphernalia shop 15 hours” after Manziel was involved in a hit-and-run crash earlier this week.