Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya is accused of two instances of sexual assault in 2020 by an executive of the tequila company he is a partner with, according to a civil suit filed Wednesday.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that the woman, who was a former employee at Casa Mexico, was sexually harassed and sexually assaulted in March 2020, ESPN reported.
“As a survivor of this abuse, she wants others to know this behavior is unacceptable — and it doesn’t matter who you are,” the woman’s attorney, Sylvia Torres-Guillen, said in a statement. “We will seek justice on her behalf.”
The first incident occurred during a trip to Mexico to visit the Casa Mexico Tequila distillery, The Washington Post reported.
The woman claimed De La Hoya came to her hotel room, Sports Illustrated reported. According to court documents, De La Hoya allegedly banged on her door with his pants around his ankles, then pushed his way into her room and got into her bed.
The woman pushed him from the bed and walked him to his room, according to court documents.
Sports Illustrated reported that the next morning, De La Hoya sexually assaulted her after she went to his room to wake him up for a tour of the distillery.
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According to the Los Angeles Times, the woman alleged that De La Hoya assaulted her again when she returned to Los Angeles.
A group of Casa Mexico executives that included De La Hoya and the woman dined at a restaurant, then went to the boxer’s house, the newspaper reported.
In a statement, De La Hoya denied the allegations.
“With the 24-hour news cycle we all find ourselves in, more often than not, malicious and unjust accusations are interpreted as truth without the evidence to support their erroneous claims,” De La Hoya said. “I am confident my legal team will resolve this matter and prove my innocence.”
De La Hoya won titles in six boxing divisions and won an Olympic gold medal as a lightweight in 1992, ESPN reported. The Los Angeles native retired after losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2008. He was scheduled to return to the ring last year but withdrew in September after contracting COVID-19.
De La Hoya, who compiled a 223-5 record as an amateur and was 39-6 as a pro, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014.
If you or someone you know is a survivor of sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at or at https://www.rainn.org.
