Cristiano Ronaldo Dismisses Rape Allegations As “Fake News”

The soccer star responded to accusations he raped an American woman in Las Vegas in 2009.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus FC looks dejected during the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and SSC Napoli. Juventus FC won 3-1 over SSC Napoli. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus FC looks dejected during the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and SSC Napoli. Juventus FC won 3-1 over SSC Napoli. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
LightRocket via Getty Images

The biggest star in soccer is now embroiled in the biggest scandal of his career.

In an article published on Friday, German publication Der Spiegel alleges that Cristiano Ronaldo raped an American woman in Las Vegas in 2009 and paid her off to stay silent at the time.

Hours after the report broke, Ronaldo responded to the claims made by Kathryn Mayorga in the piece with an Instagram Live video, calling the allegations “fake news.”

Translated, this is what he said: “No, no, no, no, no. What they said today, fake—fake news. You want to promote by my name. It’s normal. They want to be famous to say my name. Yeah, but it’s part of the job, I’m a happy man, and all good.”

Mayorga has remained silent about what allegedly happened to her thanks to a $375,000 out-of-court settlement Ronaldo paid her in 2010, but said she decided to go public with her story because of the #MeToo movement.

“It’s never left her. Every day, she lives it,” Mayorga’s mother Cheryl says in the Der Spiegel piece. “There were times when she would call me and his — he would be on a billboard or whatever, and she would just completely disintegrate. Having to walk into a store to get a pint of milk, and you’ve got his picture everywhere. (…) He’s the soccer god that everybody thinks is just perfect and flawless. (…) And she can’t even get out of bed some days. It’s just wrong. We’re behind her 100 percent.”

Mayorga has filed a civil complaint n Nevada district court charging that the alleged assault continues to cause her severe distress, and that she was coerced into signing a nondisclosure agreement at the time of the crime.

Here’s the full video.

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