LAS VEGAS – A Nevada woman was thwarted in her bid to force Cristiano Ronaldo to pay millions of dollars on top of the $375,000 she received in a reported settlement 12 years ago after she claimed the soccer star raped her.
U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey threw out the case on Friday to punish the woman’s attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, for “bad-faith conduct” and the use of “purloined” confidential documents that tainted the case, according to The Associated Press.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys did not immediately respond Saturday to messages seeking comment, the news organization reported.
In a lawsuit filed in Clark County, Nevada, in September 2018, Kathryn Mayorga said Ronaldo, who played for the Italian club Juventus, raped her while she repeatedly screamed “no,” CNN reported.
People who claim they are victims of sexual assault are normally not named in news reports, but Mayorga gave consent through her attorneys, Stovall and Larissa Drohobyczer, to make her name public, according to the AP.
According to the lawsuit, Ronaldo apologized after the alleged incident that occurred on June 13, 2009, “stating he was sorry, he was usually a gentleman,” CNN reported. The lawsuit alleged that Ronaldo told his representatives that “she said ‘no’ and ‘stop’ several times.”
In 2010, Mayorga reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo involving a $375,000 payment in exchange for a nondisclosure agreement, the BBC reported. Her lawyers were seeking to declare the agreement void.
Dorsey said in her 42-page order that dismissing the case with no option to file again was severe, but said that Ronaldo had been harmed by Stovall’s conduct, according to the AP.
“I find that the procurement and continued use of these documents was bad faith, and simply disqualifying Stovall will not cure the prejudice to Ronaldo because the misappropriated documents and their confidential contents have been woven into the very fabric of Mayorga’s claims,” the ruling said. “Harsh sanctions are merited.”
Ronaldo’s legal team did not dispute that the two had sex but maintained it was consensual and the confidentiality agreement prevented both sides from discussing it.
Mayorga could appeal the decision to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, according to the AP.
Ronaldo, 37, scored 18 goals in 30 Premier League appearances for Manchester United during the 2021-2022 season, The Athletic reported. United fans voted him as the club’s player of the month five times, according to the magazine.
2003: Wayne Rooney of Everton fouls Ronaldo of Manchester United during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford on December 26, 2003, in Manchester, England.
2004: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester Utd after the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Manchester United and Charlton Athletic at Old Trafford on April 20, 2004, in Manchester, England.
Cristiano Ronaldo, shown celebrating a goal for Portugal during World Cup qualifying in 2006, won a legal victory Saturday.
2006: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United is congratulated by team mates John O’Shea (left), Ji-sung Park and Patrice Evra (right) after scoring his team’s second goal during the Barclays Premiership match between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford on December 26, 2006, in Manchester, England.
2007: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United celebrates scoring from the penalty spot during the FA Cup sponsored by E.ON Quarter Final Replay match between Manchester United and Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on March 19, 2007, in Manchester, England.
2008: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United bites his winners medal following his team’s victory during the UEFA Champions League Final match between Manchester United and Chelsea at the Luzhniki Stadium on May 21, 2008, in Moscow, Russia.
2009: New Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo is presented to a full house at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium on July 6, 2009, in Madrid, Spain.
2010: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his sides opening goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Valencia at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on December 4, 2010, in Madrid, Spain.
2011: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid attends "Cristiano Ronaldo Al Limite" documentary premiere at Vistalegre stadium on September 7, 2011, in Madrid, Spain.
2012: In this handout image provided by UEFA, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal talks to the media during a UEFA EURO 2012 press conference at the Arena Lviv on June 8, 2012, in Lviv, Ukraine.
2013: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid CF celebrates after scoring Real’s second goal during the La Liga match between Real Madrid CF and Malaga CF at estadio Santiago Bernabeu on May 8, 2013, in Madrid, Spain.
2014: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid celebrates scoring their fourth goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Atletico de Madrid at Estadio da Luz on May 24, 2014, in Lisbon, Portugal.
2015: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Real Madrid receives the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for the player of the year during the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala 2014 at the Kongresshaus on January 12, 2015, in Zurich, Switzerland.
2016: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal balances the Henri Delaunay trophy on his head to celebrate after his team’s 1-0 win against France in the UEFA EURO 2016 Final match between Portugal and France at Stade de France on July 10, 2016, in Paris, France.
2017: The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award winner Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Real Madrid kisses the trophy during The Best FIFA Football Awards 2016 on January 9, 2017, in Zurich, Switzerland.
2018: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid lifts The UEFA Champions League trophy following his sides victory in during the UEFA Champions League Final between Real Madrid and Liverpool at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on May 26, 2018, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
2019: Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus celebrates scoring his side’s second goal during the International Champions Cup match between Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur at the Singapore National Stadium on July 21, 2019, in Singapore.
2020: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts during the international friendly match between Portugal and Spain at Estadio Jose Alvalade on October 7, 2020, in Lisbon, Portugal.
2021: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal celebrates after victory in the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Group F match between Hungary and Portugal at Puskas Arena on June 15, 2021, in Budapest, Hungary.
2022: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton at Old Trafford on February 12, 2022, in Manchester, England.
