Cowboys legend Michael Irvin sparks wild controversy defending 49ers owner Jed York’s prostitution arrest
Michael Irvin comes to Jed York's defense after the 49ers owner's arrest.
Pro Football Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion Michael Irvin has come to the defense of San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York following his recent arrest in Ohio during an undercover prostitution sting.
The legendary Dallas Cowboys wide receiver publicly backed York during a livestream with influencer Neon, downplaying the incident and urging people to stop turning it into a major scandal.
“(York) got divorced like 5-6 months ago,” Irvin said. “Is that really a crime? Let that man off. Leave that man alone. Imagine you’re going through a divorce and some young girl, some pretty girl, comes up to you, hitting on you, and she’s undercover … you don’t know. Everybody’s paying for it. You’re paying for it, regardless. Why do we gotta embarrass (York) over $140?”
According to authorities, York agreed to pay $140 to a sex worker he contacted online and was arrested while driving to a mobile home park where the meeting was allegedly set to take place.
Michael Irvin's controversial past
Irvin's remarks drew attention not only because he defended York, but also because of his own long history of off-field controversies throughout his playing career and retirement.
Much of that history is chronicled in Jeff Pearlman's Boys Will Be Boys: The Glory Days and Party Nights of the Dallas Cowboys Dynasty , as well as Netflix's 2025 documentary series America's Team: The Gambler And His Cowboys .
York, 46, became the 49ers' CEO in 2008 and has served as the franchise's principal owner since 2024. The York family controls more than 90 percent of the team and has an estimated net worth of $8.5 billion .
According to the San Francisco Chronicle , York used a fake name to arrange the meeting through text messages before driving to a mobile home park, believing he was headed to a one-hour sexual encounter in exchange for $140 .
When officers searched his vehicle, they found not only the cash intended for the encounter but also an additional, undisclosed amount of money in his wallet.
“He’s got all the money … he’s got a (expletive) load of money,” one officer says. “Wow. It’s crazy that people do this. They could do whatever they want. Like, they could do other things; they could go other ways. It’s wild.”
The Chronicle reported that York responded on Saturday to an advertisement posted on a prostitution website using the name “Joe.” After following up several times to arrange the meeting, an undercover officer eventually responded. The following day, York drove a rental car to the designated meeting spot in East Palestine, Ohio, carrying $160 in cash, where he was ultimately arrested by police.
