Chad Johnson sues two websites for posting 'stolen' sex tape

Chad Johnson (the former Ochocinco) has gathered his legal team and is taking action against two websites for posting a sex tape he claims was stolen from his phone.

Johnson admitted he was involved in the sex tape, made three years ago with two women, but never publicly released the video.

The former NFL star  is suing WorldStar HipHop.com and Media Takeout for the now infamous video shot in a Florida hotel room, reports TMZ.  The lawsuit charges the sites with posting the tape without his consent.

Johnson's lawyers successfully got the two sites to pull the footage after firing off cease-and-desist letters last week.  He is seeking unspecified financial damages, reported TMZ.

Sources told the gossip site that while Johnson has never denied making the cheesy video, he claims the footage was swiped from his cell phone.

The video is the latest embarrassment for the 34-year-old former Miami Dolphins receiver.  His wife of 41 days, Evelyn Lozada, divorced him after he was arrested for allegedly headbutting her in a domestic dispute.  The Aug. 11 incident led to him being dropped by the Dolphins and he has been without an NFL job since.

Chad Johnson admits role in sex tape that has gone viral

Former NFL star Chad Johnson has admitted to being the man in a sex tape co-starring two female friends making the Internet rounds but claims he didn't leak it to a website.

Johnson acknowledges  ... a sex tape which appears to feature the former Miami Dolphin — along with two women — is real — but he insists he never wanted the video to go public, reports TMZ.

The former All-Pro told TMZ he had no idea how the tape — which was shot three years ago in a Florida hotel room — was leaked to the Internet and said he is not happy that it has gone viral.

So far the video has only made it into cyberspace in bits and pieces — although the entire tape is "substantial in length."   An R-rated snippet can be seen at missjia.com.

Johnson has been looking to hook up with an NFL team since being released by the Dolphins after being arrested for an domestic incident with his ex-wife Evelyn Lozada over the summer.

Lozada confirmed that the sex tape released Christmas morning is of Johnson but said the video is "old news."

In his first press conference with the Dolphins in August, Johnson was asked what he would be doing if he wasn't playing football.  The wide receiver replied, "I was thinking about going into porn.  It's not funny.  I got to earn a living."

He is now exploring his legal options in hopes of having the tape removed from the website.