Shark Tank star faces lawsuit over rape claims
Robert Herjavec denies allegations, says ex-girlfriend is bitter over 2015 breakup
Shark Tank Canadian star Robert Herjavec is being sued by his ex-girlfriend for repeated rape just hours after the businessman sued her for attempting to extort him over false claims of sexual assault.
Herjavec’s ex, Danielle Vasinova, whom he dated from 2013 to 2015, is suing for sexual battery, domestic violence and infliction of emotional distress, after claiming that the CEO repeatedly raped and sodomized her, TMZ reports.
She alleges that Herjavec took her to an underground sex club in Los Angeles in 2015. Vasinova claims she denied participating when asked by Herjavec and he became angry, took off her clothes, forcefully held her down by her face and engaged in “injurious sexual intercourse and sodomy,” according to the documents obtained by TMZ. Vasinova also claims there were other instances of sexual assault, the suit claims.
Her suit comes just hours after Herjavec filed a lawsuit against her, claiming she was trying to extort him for millions of dollars with false accusations of sexual assault.
Herjavec’s lawyer told TMZ in a statement: “The allegations are false and with the sole intent for monetary gain. My client has had enough and will not tolerate extortion.”
Vasinova was reportedly seeking $20 million from the businessman for her silence and later lowered it to $5 million, according to Herjavec’s suit obtained by TMZ.
Herjavec, who owns a mansion in Toronto’s Bridle Path, says in his lawsuit that Vasinova is bitter over his choice to end their relationship.
The star of Shark Tank and its Canadian equivalent, Dragons’ Den, alleged Vasinova invited him to the sex club and took photos of him without his knowledge while he was strapped to a table and blindfolded to be later used in her extortion attempt.
Herjavec married his Dancing with the Stars partner, Kym Johnson, in 2016.