Cristiano Ronaldo again denied allegations that he raped a woman in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009, writing on Twitter on Wednesday that it is an “abominable crime” and that the claim is being made “by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.”
According to a civil lawsuit filed in state court in Las Vegas last week, Kathryn Mayorga, who was then 25, alleged that Ronaldo raped her in his hotel room in the city, then was coerced into signing a nondisclosure agreement in 2010 in an out-of-court settlement in exchange for $375,000.
It asks for general damages, special damages, punitive damages and special relief, each in excess of $50,000, along with interest, attorney fees and court costs.
“I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me,” Ronaldo wrote on Twitter. “Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense.
“My clear conscience will thereby allow me to await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations.”
Police have reopened their investigation into the incident at Mayorga’s request.
Leslie Stovall, Mayorga’s attorney, said at a news conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday that the assault caused Mayorga severe mental and emotional damage. Mayorga was not in attendance.
“She has decided not to make herself available to the media and stay out of the public because of her emotional state,” Stovall told the news conference. “It is not pleasant for her.”
Stovall added that a psychiatrist determined Mayorga suffers post-traumatic stress and depression because of the alleged attack.
A German magazine, Der Spiegel, first reported the filing of Mayorga’s lawsuit last week, and Ronaldo’s Berlin-based lawyer, Christian Schertz, threatened to sue the publication because he said the report violated Ronaldo’s personal rights “in an exceptionally serious way.”
Ronaldo, who joined Juventus in July after nine years with Real Madrid, appeared to deny the allegations in a video posted on Instagram hours after the suit was filed by calling them “fake news.”
“You want to promote by my name,” he said. “It’s normal. They want to be famous, to say my name, but it is part of the job. I am a happy man and all good.”
Drohobyczer, who said she did not represent Mayorga in 2009, acknowledged her client accepted the settlement money.
Mayorga, now 34, told Der Spiegel that she decided to come forward with the allegations because of the #MeToo movement that has seen victims speak out against sexual abuse.
Attorneys representing Mayorga are scheduled to hold a news conference in Las Vegas at 3 p.m. PDT.
Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.
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