Three months after being involved in an incident that led to three felony charges, the case against 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster took a dramatic turn on Thursday after Foster's ex-girlfriend, Elissa Ennis, took the stand during a preliminary hearing.
During her testimony, Ennis recanted her initial allegations. After Foster was arrested on Feb. 11, Ennis had told police that Foster dragged her by her hair, physically threw her out of the house, and punched her in the head eight to 10 times. This time around, Ennis said that none of that actually happened.
According to Ennis, she made up the story about Foster's attack because she wanted him to "go down" after he broke up with her.
"I wanted him to go down. I was pissed," Ennis said, via the San Jose Mercury News.
Ennis said she even threatened Foster after he broke off the relationship.
"I'm about to f--- your s--- up. You're not going to have a job no more," Ennis said, via the San Francisco Chronicle.
Ennis admitted in court that she pulled off a similar stunt after a previous boyfriend dumped her in 2011. Seven years ago, Ennis apparently had another boyfriend arrested on a domestic violence charge after he broke up with here.
As for Foster, Ennis also said she lied when she made the accusation that he threw her dog across a room.
"I was pissed and I wanted to end him," Ennis said, when asked why she made up the lie.
Ennis eventually admitted that she called police on Foster as part of a plot to make money off of him.
"It was all a money scheme. I didn't want to get this far in the news," Ennis said. "It was about money. I wanted to sue him on my own"
According to the Mercury News, Ennis fled to Louisiana after Foster was arrested on Feb. 11 and made sure to take a few things with her. During her testimony, Ennis admitted that she took Foster's money and some jewelry that had been stored in a safety deposit box.
Although Ennis' lawyer had advised her not to take the stand, the ex-girlfriend decided to testify anyway, because she wanted to apologize to Foster.
"I'm sorry," Ennis said. "I really am. I apologize to everybody. I really am sorry."
With the victim now saying that she lied about everything, it will now be up to Judge Nona L. Klippen to decide if Foster will stand trial. That decision will come on May 23. Despite the fact that Ennis recanted, the judge could decide to move the case forward if she believes that Ennis was doing it to protect Foster from the charges. Ennis was asked in court on Thursday if anyone, including Foster, had paid her to recant her testimony, and she said no.
There's also the matter of her injuries. Ennis, who did suffer multiple injuries from an incident in February, is now saying that she got injured from a fight that she had with two other women in San Francisco the night before Foster's arrest.
Foster could face more than 11 years in prison if he went to trial and was convicted. The 49ers star could also face a six-game suspension under the NFL's domestic violence policy if the case moves forward. Even if the judge drops the domestic violence charges, there's still a possibility that the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office could move forward and try to prosecute Foster on his one charge of possessing an assault weapon.
The 24-year-old linebacker hasn't been practicing with the 49ers over the past month, but he could return at some point in the near future if the 49ers are comfortable with the situation. General manager John Lynch said on Monday that the team would definitely cut Foster if he was found guilty of hitting a woman.
"I want to be abundantly clear, if these charges are proven true, if Reuben did hit this young lady, he won't be a part of this organization going forward," Lynch said.
Foster has been making headlines, and not in the good way, for the past year. Back in March 2017, Foster was sent home early from the combine after getting into a heated discussion with a hospital worker while waiting to get tested. His urine sample also came back as a diluted sample which, according to the NFL's substance abuse policy, is considered a positive test.
The 49ers' 2017 first-round pick was also arrested on Jan. 12 and charged with second-degree possession of marijuana after an incident in Alabama.
