Marcellus Wiley Admits Marriage Had Issues, Doubles Down on Abuse Denial

Marcellus Wiley is further denying he ever abused his estranged wife, Annemarie Wiley ... admitting in a response to her domestic violence restraining order request that they didn't have a perfect marriage -- but he never abused her as she alleges.

The former NFL star filed the response late Friday afternoon ... telling the court the accusations made against him by Annemarie are heartbreaking, embarrassing -- and patently untrue.

He says, "We did not have a perfect marriage. We experienced disagreements, frustrations, and periods of marital strain. However, I have never physically abused, sexually assaulted, or intentionally harmed my wife at any point during our relationship."

Wiley also says it hurts him to learn Annemarie classifies some of their marital intimacy as rape ... adding such an allegation is false because he has "never forced, coerced, or sexually assaulted" her.

Wiley claims police were never called to the couple's home while they were married for alleged abuse ... and the first time he learned about Annemarie's allegations against him was after she filed for divorce.

He also specifically addresses the July 4 weekend trip ... during which he was arrested by cops and booked on a charge of domestic battery. Wiley says he never hit, pushed, poked, grabbed or placed his hands on her "in anger" during the trip.

Wiley says one of the hardest parts of these proceedings has been the loss of contact with his kids -- a judge granted Annemarie's request for a temporary restraining order earlier this month. He asks the court to evaluate the evidence in the case thoroughly before coming to a decision.

This is not the first time Wiley has denied the allegations made by Annemarie. Remember ... he released a statement shortly after she filed for divorce in which he claimed she had "lost her mind."