(Las Vegas) A Nevada woman who sued star soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo for millions of dollars and claimed he got a $375,000 bribe to shut up after he raped her in Las Vegas Vegas in 2009 lost its case in US court.
Posted at 1:28 p.m.
Las Vegas District Judge Jennifer Dorsey dropped the charges on Friday to punish the alleged victim’s attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, for his ‘bad faith’ and reliance on leaked and stolen documents relating to the discussions between Ronaldo and his lawyers. Dorsey said it harmed the proceedings, rendering the lawsuit moot.
Dorsey said in his 42-page verdict that dropping the charge without an opportunity to rephrase it is a severe punishment, but added that Ronaldo’s reputation has been tarnished by Stovall’s attitude.
The latter did not immediately respond to phone messages and emails left by The Associated Press on Saturday seeking comment. Text messages sent to his assistant Larissa Drohobyczer also went unanswered. They could appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco.
Ronaldo’s lawyer in Las Vegas, Peter Christiansen, was out of town and could not be reached for comment on recent developments.