Brett Favre Has Been Tangled in a Few Scandals, One Involving Sexting

Retired NFL star Brett Favre may be considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history, but with a 20-year career and plenty of time in the spotlight, it’s no surprise his reputation has taken a few hits. In addition to repeatedly retiring (is that where Tom Brady got the idea?) before finally walking away in 2010, Favre has also been tied to a handful of scandals over the years.

From sexting allegations to receiving money meant for welfare recipients, his controversies may be few, but they carry some serious weight. Here’s a look at the not-so-favorable headlines attached to Brett's name.

The same year Brett Favre retired from the Minnesota Vikings in 2010, details about a sexting scandal involving the Jets' former in-stadium game-day host Jenn Sterger surfaced. The incident, however, reportedly took place in 2008, when Brett was playing for the New York Jets. It cast a dim light on the former star quarterback, though he maintained his innocence throughout.

Brett was accused of sending racy photos and explicit voice messages to Jenn, who was 25 at the time — he was 41. One of the messages was of him allegedly saying, "Love to have you come over tonight," per Good Morning America. What made it even worse is that Favre was (and still is) married to Deanna Favre, whom he wed in 1996. The two share daughters Brittany and Breleigh.

When news of the scandal broke two years after it allegedly occurred, the NFL launched an investigation. However, Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that he "could not conclude" whether Brett had violated the league’s personal conduct policy, as the evidence did not prove he had sent the photos. Still, Brett was fined $50,000 at the end of 2010 for failing to cooperate fully with the investigation.

In a 2011 interview with Good Morning America, her first since the allegations surfaced, Jenn Sterger admitted she had never actually met Brett Favre. She described him as "that guy at the bar that just could not get the hint." Jenn insisted she never did anything to lead him on or provoke the behavior, but the messages and explicit photos continued to arrive. While she occasionally responded in an attempt to "stave him off," she said she never encouraged the behavior.

Ultimately, Jenn left her job with the Jets, and the messages stopped. She later confided in a blogger, who went public with the story. Jenn said she never knew how they obtained copies of the messages and was never paid for any part of the scandal.

In 2023, Brett Favre’s name popped up in a civil lawsuit over the misuse of welfare funds in Mississippi years ago, per CBS Sports. He allegedly pocketed millions for speaking gigs and appearances he never actually showed up for. Some of that money reportedly went toward building a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter just so happened to play.

Turns out, during that same welfare scandal, a pharmaceutical company (Prevacus) that Brett had invested in also received a little over $2 million payout, and the state’s governor at the time was allegedly offered shares in the company, too. Still, Brett didn’t let a few headline-making scandals stop him from landing more deals or keeping his name alive in the world of sports.