Ronaldo asks US court to dismiss rape case

LAS VEGAS: Cristiano Ronaldo’s lawyers have filed court documents asking a U. S. judge in Las Vegas to either dismiss a Nevada woman’s lawsuit alleging the soccer star raped her in 2009, or to order closed- door settlement talks. Attorneys representing Ronaldo’s accuser, Kathryn Mayorga, did not immediately respond Tuesday to telephone, email and text messages seeking comment about the two recent court filings about her lawsuit stemming from a 2010 confidentiality agreement and $ 375,000 hushmoney payment.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been victims of sexual assault, but Mayorga gave consent to be named through her lawyers, Leslie Mark Stovall and Larissa Drohobyczer.

Ronaldo’s lawyer in Las Vegas, Peter Christiansen, declined to comment about the documents he filed October 14.

“Mr. Ronaldo has always maintained that this was a consensual encounter,” said the filing seeking dismissal of the case.

A companion document also filed Oct. 14 in U. S. District court asks the judge to order outofcourt talks to settle the lawsuit.

Mayorga alleges conspiracy, defamation, breach of contract, coercion and fraud. Her lawyers want to void the 2010 deal and collect at least $ 200,000 more from Ronaldo. They acknowledge Mayorga received $ 375,000 in 2010. The court has kept the original agreement sealed.

Mayorga’s lawyers maintain she didn’t break the confidentiality pledge. They accuse Ronaldo or his associates of allowing reports of it to appear in European publications in 2017.

The soccer star’s lawyers have said the information was among electronic data hacked, stolen and sold by cybercriminals, and that Mayorga’s lawsuit is being used to damage Ronaldo’s reputation.