WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for American Sports Story episode 7.
American Sports Storyepisode 7 “Dirty Pain” changes several key aspects of Aaron Hernandez’s true story. Josh Rivera leads theAmerican Sports StorycastasAaron Hernandez, the former collegiate and NFL superstar tight endwho was convicted ofmurdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloydin 2015. Thefirst two episodes ofAmerican Sports Storycapture a basic understanding of Aaron Hernandez’s complicated upbringing and accelerated path to becoming a Florida Gator before joining the NFL’s New England Patriots in 2010.American Sports Storyportrays several NFL players, including Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady, and Tim Tebow.
American Sports Storyepisode 3chronicles Hernandez’s celebrity status at theUniversity of Florida before he ultimately declared for the 2010 NFL Draft.American Sports Story episode 4chronicles more of the details of Hernandez’s transition from being the 2010John Mackey Award winnerto having his draft stock plummet ahead of the NFL Draft due to off-the-field concerns.American Sports Storyepisode 5chronicles Hernandez’s early days as a rookie on the New England Patriots and explores the influences of hisnew head coach Bill BelichickwhileAmerican Sports Storyepisode 6depicts aviolent shooting Hernandez was allegedly involved inwith his friend Sherrod, who comes after him for revenge in episode 7.
New episodes ofAmerican Sports Storyair every Tuesday at 10 PM on FX.
Aaron Hernandez Never Brought A Gun Into The Patriots Locker Room At Gillette Stadium
The series depicts Hernandez holding a handgun in the parking lot of Gillette Stadium
American Sports Storyepisode 7 features a depiction of an increasingly paranoid Aaron Hernandez grabbing a handgun from his team bag in the New England Patriots locker room. While there were several true aspects ofAmerican Sports Storyepisode 7, such as Hernandez requesting to be traded to a West Coast team and going through rehab after shoulder surgery in California, the part with Hernandez carrying a firearm in Gillette Stadium is completely fabricated. Handguns and other weapons were eventually confiscated by police following his arrest, butHernandez never brought a weapon into the home of the Patriotsin Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Alexander “Sherrod” Bradley Initially Asked For $5 Million From Hernandez After Being Shot In The Face
The two exchanged hundreds of threatening text messages
The real-life Alexander S. Bradley, who goes by Sherrod inAmerican Sports Story, did exchange hundreds of threatening back-and-forth text messages with Aaron Hernandez. The seriesaccurately conveysSherrod’s reluctance to report Hernandez to the policeso that he could have the opportunity to enact his revenge on Hernandez.
While Hernandez never admitted to the crime in real life and was never charged with the attempted murder of Sherrod, he did rely on the assistance of his agent, Brian Murphy, to negotiate a potential payout. Sherrod reportedly asked for $5 million before settling on his second ask of $2.5 million as depicted in the series. In reality,Hernandez reached a settlement with Bradley for a confidential amountwhile incarcerated.
D.J. Hernandez Found Aaron With A Gun On A Rooftop In LA, Not A Beach In Malibu
Hernandez was found rubbing the barrel of a gun on his face
During an emotional and tense scene inAmerican Sports Storyepisode 7, Aaron Hernandez’s brother D.J. finds Aaron on a beach in Malibu with a handgun outside of his temporary Los Angeles apartment. A similar event actually happened in whichD.J. found Aaron in a state of distress on top of a roof holding a handgunand rubbing the barrel of the gun on his face (viaThe Boston Globe). Interestingly, the series takes a step back in its recreation of this real-life event since the actual occurrence sounds much more severe at face value. While Hernandez breaks down and cries in the series, the real scene is even more unsettling.
Police Responded To 2 Separate Domestic Incidents In The Same Week At Hernandez’s LA Apartment
The Los Angeles police department didn’t search the apartment either time
Aaron Hernandez and hisfinacée Shayanna Jenkinsspent the spring of 2013 out in Los Angeles with their newborn daughter Avielle as Aaron rehabilitated following his shoulder surgery. The series depicts one domestic incident in which neighbors called the police after they heard yelling and items being thrown. In reality, there were actually two of these types of aggressive incidents over a span of one week (viaThe Wall Street Journal). Despite the frequency of these domestic disturbances,Hernandez was never arrested and Jenkins stayed in the house after telling police that she felt safe. The police never even searched the premises, clearly aware of who Hernandez was.
Aaron Hernandez Did Not Have A Hidden Arsenal Of Automatic Weapons In His Apartment
The series depicts Hernandez with various assault rifles and automatic weapons
The final scene ofAmerican Sports Storydepicts Aaron Hernandez with a ridiculous arsenal of automatic weapons and handguns behind a hidden wall in his secret apartment in Franklin, Massachusetts. While he threatened Sherrod via text messages that he had various weapons in real life, including automatic weapons, police never found those weapons at his apartment or his mansion in North Attleborough. According toESPN,Hernandez’s house cleaners found two separate handguns on two occasions, but never anything more powerful than that. The assault rifles and snipers seen inAmerican Sports Storylook like they came out of a first-person shooter video game and are not based on fact.
American Sports Story
Cast
American Sports Story is a TV show from Stu Zicherman and executive produced by Ryan Murphy. The series stars Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow. The sports anthology series serves as the fourth installment in Murphy’s “American Story” franchise.
