Football
Associated Press 5y

Ronaldo fails in bid to dismiss Mayorga's lawsuit

LAS VEGAS -- Cristiano Ronaldo has lost a bid for dismissal or complete secrecy in a federal lawsuit by a Nevada woman who accuses him of raping her at a Las Vegas resort in 2009.

Attorney Larissa Drohobyczer, representing Ronaldo's accuser, Kathryn Mayorga, said Friday she was satisfied with U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey's ruling in Las Vegas. Ronaldo's attorney, Peter Christiansen, declined to comment.

Ronaldo's attorneys have said their client and Mayorga had consensual sex in June 2009. They deny it was rape.

Mayorga, who gave consent through her lawyers to make her name public, seeks monetary damages of at least $200,000. Her lawsuit alleges Ronaldo or people working for him allowed word to become public last year of a hush-money settlement that paid her $375,000.

The judge on Wednesday rejected Ronaldo's claim that releasing court records would "weaponized the allegations in this case," risk public scandal and harm Ronaldo's reputation and endorsements.

"The cat is already out of the bag about Mayorga's allegations" and the settlement, Dorsey wrote. "I'm not satisfied that Ronaldo's interest in holding Mayorga to her agreement is enough to justify sealing the entire record in this case."

However, the judge called the settlement between Ronaldo and Mayorga in 2010 a confidential contract between private parties.

"The documents themselves and direct quotes from any of them will remain sealed," she said.

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