Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall addressed at a Thursday news conference the allegations of domestic assault made against him in 2007 by a former girlfriend and reports that the NFL knew about the situation and chose to ignore it.

The NFL suspended Marshall three games at the time as a result of the accusations made by Rasheeda Watley but later reduced the ban to one game.

Marshall distributed a letter to reporters on Thursday from his former girlfriend to commissioner Roger Goodell that addressed the allegations.

“I will let you know that he never hurt me or hit me,” the letter stated. “I was pressured by my family to make up certain things to get money, I was told to say that Brandon hit me and hurt me so that I could get him to pay to keep me quiet.”

Marshall also cited a letter from a counselor that described Watley’s “assaultive behavior.”

The veteran wideout brought up his history in light of the recent domestic violence cases that have rocked the NFL.

“We need to get all the details before we can play judge or jury because there are two sides to every story,” Marshall said.

Marshall, who has a history of domestic violence issues, added that he respects Goodell after meeting with him several months ago.

“Domestic violence is wrong,” Marshall said. “I believe there should be consequences. I believe in that.

“I didn’t say I believe in the indefinite ban. I believe in second chances. I just want the process to play itself out.”

Marshall emphasized that domestic violence is not just an NFL issue for “an epidemic in our world.”

Marshall went on to say he was whipped by a grandmother as a child but supported the league’s new policy to suspend players six games for a first-time domestic-violence offense and a lifetime ban for a second incident.

General manager Phil Emery said the Bears knew about Marshall’s history when they traded for him in 2012 and stand behind him.

“(We are) equally aware of the tremendous efforts he made to bring positive changes in his life and in the lives of all the people around him,” Emery said in a statement. “Since his arrival, Brandon has thrived in an environment that has been supportive. He has been a very positive, thoughtful and proactive leader and role model.

“He has acknowledged his past struggles and shared his story in an effort to help others improve their daily lives. Brandon has been at the forefront of mental health awareness and has extended himself in an unprecedented way to help fellow players across the NFL. He has helped himself through helping others and we are proud to have him as a teammate.”