- Cristiano Ronaldo’s rape case in Las Vegas is dismissed by a US judge.
- After a woman claimed he assaulted her in Las Vegas in 2009, the Manchester United player paid her $375,000 in hush money.
- The complaint sought a larger settlement, potentially in the millions of dollars.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s rape case in Las Vegas has been dismissed by a US judge.
After a woman claimed he assaulted her in Las Vegas in 2009, the Manchester United player paid her $375,000 in hush money.
The complaint sought a larger settlement, potentially in the millions of dollars, but US District Judge Jennifer Dorsey dismissed the case on Friday due to the way the papers were obtained.
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In her 42-page judgement, the judge stated that dismissing a lawsuit entirely with no ability to re-file it is a harsh punishment, but that Ronaldo had been hurt by the woman’s counsel, Leslie Mark Stovall.
Mr. Stovall had used “misappropriated papers” that were “woven into the very fabric” of the plaintiff’s argument, according to Judge Dorsey, which meant the case had to be permanently dismissed.
“I find that the procurement and continued use of these papers was bad faith,” she stated in her judgement.
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“Disqualifying Stovall will not remedy Ronaldo’s prejudice because the plundered documents and their secret information are intertwined into the very fabric of [the plaintiff’s] claims.”
The judgement stated, “Harsh consequences are warranted.”
Ronaldo responded in a statement made in October 2018: “I categorically refute the charges levelled against me. Rape is a heinous act that contradicts everything I am and believe.”
His legal team claims that the sexual contact was voluntary, and that a confidentiality agreement forbids him and the woman from discussing it.
The woman’s legal team has the option to appeal the judgement.
