Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens says he has cut ties with his longtime manager after accusing her of stealing money from him, bringing years of financial trauma and distrust back into public view.
On Sunday, May 17, Owens posted a series of screenshots, accounting records, and text messages on Instagram targeting Heather Mesalam, whom he said had handled his business affairs for more than 15 years. In the caption, Owens called Mesalam “a liar and a thief” and confirmed she is “no longer working for me in any capacity.”
“A PERSON CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH!” Owens wrote. “When you’re managing someone’s affairs and getting paid to do it, you have to be accountable for it!”
He added that he debated taking the situation public before ultimately deciding to address it himself. “If ‘I’ had stolen from someone, I’d be ALL OVER the news,” he wrote, mentioning ESPN and sports media personalities who he believes would heavily scrutinize him under similar circumstances.
The former San Francisco 49ers star also tied the situation to broader conversations around athlete mental health. Referencing recent deaths and mental health struggles involving former football players, Owens said financial betrayal and stress are often hidden from public view.
“It’s stuff like this that people don’t see,” he wrote. “It’s what triggers us as athletes.”
According to the screenshots Owens shared, Mesalam’s monthly management payment allegedly increased from $1,300 to $1,500 without his approval. In one text exchange, Owens allegedly confronted her directly, writing: “Without my knowledge… that’s stealing.”
The dispute landed years after Owens publicly discussed losing millions during and after his NFL career. In previous interviews, he described trusting financial advisors and representatives who mishandled his money, including fallout connected to financial advisor Jeff Rubin and former agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus.
Rubin was linked to a wider financial scandal that impacted dozens of NFL players and reportedly led to losses totaling more than $40 million between 2008 and 2011.
“I hate myself for letting this happen,” Owens previously told GQ while discussing those financial setbacks. “I believed they had my back when they said, ‘You take care of the football, and we’ll do the rest.’”
Owens referenced those past experiences again in his Instagram statement, saying he was praying “that the devil don’t trick me and give in.”
He also thanked trial attorney Paul Aloise for helping him transition away from Mesalam and address the situation legally.
