Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo accused of sexual assault by two women
International soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the latest celebrity to be hit with sexual assault allegations in the #MeToo movement as two women came forward with their stories last week.
Kathryn Mayorga accused the superstar of anally raping her at the Palms Casino Resort in June 2009. The German magazine Der Spiegel interviewed Mayorga about her allegations where she claimed she was partying with Ronaldo as he was celebrating his lucrative transfer to the Spanish soccer club, Real Madrid. He raped her as she entered the bathroom.
Ronaldo paid Mayorga for her silence in 2010 with a £287,000 settlement.The case was re-opened by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and Mayorga is currently represented by Leslie Stovall.
According to the Daily Mail, Stovall also says that the details of a second sexual assault allegation have been sent to the police to aid in their investigation of the soccer star, along with another woman’s claims that he “hurt” her.
Ronaldo has denied all allegations. His current club, Juventus, has published a statement in support of the star. According to Calcio Mercato, Even the Portuguese prime minister commented in his defense, stating, “People have to understand something. There must be a presumption of innocence, it’s not enough that someone is being accused of being guilty.”
Given how European football clubs and federations protect their players from any legal harm, there is wide skepticism around the investigation. But in the era of the #MeToo movement, perhaps that changes.