Gayle sues over flash claim
West Indian cricket star Chris Gayle has fronted the NSW Supreme Court to deny allegations he flashed a female masseuse during the 2015 World Cup. The big-hitting batsman (above) said the allegation that he exposed himself to the woman in a change room was “the most horrific thing I have been accused of in my life”.
WEST Indies cricketer Chris Gayle has told a court he was devastated by false Fairfax Media claims that he exposed his genitals to a masseuse.
Giving evidence in the NSW Supreme Court in Sydney on the first day of his defamation trial, the 38-year-old denies he asked masseuse 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.
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”.
“I have to defend myself because I strongly believe you stand for something or you fall for anything,” he said.
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.
Ms Russell had treated him before but he said he did not find her services satisfactory.
“She wasn’t a good masseuse,” he said.
“She wasn’t good for me, I should say.”
Fairfax is relying on the defences of truth and qualified privilege.
The hearing continues.