Star quarterback Tom Brady will not join his New England Patriots teammates Wednesday when the Super Bowl champions visit the White House to accept congratulations from President Donald Trump for another NFL title.
The White House said it was notified that Brady was dealing with a “personal family matter” and will not attend the ceremony.
Trump’s welcome to the team was coming hours after the news from Massachusetts prisons officials that ex-Patriot tight end Aaron Hernandez hanged himself in his prison cell.
Hernandez, who played for the Patriots from 2010 to 2012, was serving a life sentence for a murder conviction. Days ago, the 27-year-old former tight end was acquitted of a double murder.
A team spokesman said the Patriots were aware of the reports of Hernandez’s death but that the club wasn’t expected to comment.
Trump has particularly close ties to the Patriots, counting owner Bob Kraft and coach Bill Belichick as friends. One of Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” hats was spotted in Tom Brady’s locker in 2015.
Kraft was one of at least five NFL team owners who gave $1 million each to Trump’s inaugural committee, a new fundraising report shows. Others include the owners of the Houston Texans, the Washington Redskins, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the LA Rams. Kraft gave the money via his Kraft Group LLC.
Besides Brady, six members of the team were not expected at Wednesday’s event.
Players have turned down White House invites ever since such events began to take off under President Ronald Reagan. That includes Brady in 2015. He cited a “family commitment” at the time, but there was speculation he declined because of some unflattering comments a spokesman for President Barack Obama made about the “Deflategate” scandal.
The team’s White House visit caps a dramatic Super Bowl victory. In the first such game to go to overtime, the Patriots pulled off a stunning rally from 25 points down to beat the Atlanta Falcons.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.