Gayle sex claim denial
Cricketer ‘devastated’ by massage indecency allegation
WEST Indies cricketer Chris Gayle says he was devastated by false and humiliating Fairfax Media claims that he exposed his genitals to a massage therapist.
Giving evidence in a Sydney court on the first day of his defamation trial, the 38-yearold denies he asked massage therapist Leanne Russell whether she wanted to “touch me up, baby”.
He agreed he had appeared in a condoms advertisement in which he declared: “I’m a bad boy with women.” He also agreed that in the lead-up to the Fairfax stories he had been criticised for inviting reporter Mel McLaughlin to have a drink after a Big Bash game and telling her “Don’t blush baby” during a live TV interview.
In the NSW Supreme Court yesterday, his barrister, Bruce McClintock SC, told the fourperson jury that Fairfax had set out to “destroy” the cricketer in a “vicious, savage and false attack” published in three of its newspapers from January 2016.
Gayle says the articles falsely claimed he intentionally exposed his genitals to, and indecently propositioned, Ms Russell in the West Indies dressing room during a Sydney training session at the 2015 World Cup. Gayle told the jury the claims were the “most hurtful thing I’ve actually come across in my entire life”.
He was referred to a February 2015 email sent by team manager Richie Richardson to players referring to Ms Russell being put in a “few uncomfortable situations”.
Gayle said he did not believe this was about anything related to him.
During cross-examination, Matt Collins QC, for Fairfax, suggested that in January 2013 Gayle said to Ms Russell before a massage: “Do you want to come and touch me up baby?” “Never,” Gayle replied.
He denied claims he had a towel around his waist in the dressing room and pulled it down to partially expose his penis when Ms Russell came in. “You said ‘Are you looking for this?’,” Dr Collins said.
“Never happened,” Gayle replied.
Gayle said he loved massages, adding that he was not the most flexible person in the world and wanted to be “loose” at all times.
Ms Russell had treated him before but he said he did not find her services satisfactory.
“She wasn’t a good mass- euse,” he said. “She wasn’t good for me, I should say.”
Mr McClintock contended that either Fairfax knew the claims were false or it was reckless in publishing the “appalling allegations” and acted dishonestly and maliciously.
The stories ran 10 months after the alleged conduct, just after the widespread publicity given to the “bit of banter, perhaps some flirting” involved in the Ms McLaughlin interview, he said.
Fairfax is relying on the defences of truth and qualified privilege. The hearing continues.