In 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo did not travel to the United States with his club Juventus for a pre-season tour. This was due to an ongoing rape investigation in Las Vegas, where Ronaldo was accused of raping Kathryn Mayorga in a hotel room in 2009. Mayorga claimed that Ronaldo paid her $350,000 to $375,000 to buy her silence. As a result, Juventus played their International Champions Cup games in Singapore and China instead of the United States.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Reason for not travelling to the US | To avoid the risk of being detained by the authorities as part of a rape investigation in Las Vegas |
Rape investigation details | Kathryn Mayorga accused Ronaldo of raping her in a hotel room in 2009 and then paying her $375,000 for her silence |
Tournament | International Champions Cup |
Tournament location | Asia (Singapore and China) |
What You'll Learn
Rape allegations against Ronaldo
In 2018, Kathryn Mayorga, a former teacher and model from the Las Vegas area, accused Cristiano Ronaldo of raping her in a hotel room in 2009. Mayorga claimed that Ronaldo, whom she met at a nightclub, sexually assaulted her when they got to his hotel suite. She went to the hospital for an examination after the assault and doctors confirmed that she had sustained bodily injuries.
Mayorga received $375,000 in hush money from Ronaldo in 2010, agreeing to a confidentiality agreement. However, in 2017, a German news outlet, Der Spiegel, published an article titled "Cristiano Ronaldo's Secret", which was based on leaked documents obtained from "Football Leaks". This article brought the allegations back into the public eye.
In September 2018, Mayorga filed a 32-page complaint about the incident, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reopened their investigation. However, in 2019, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson decided not to pursue criminal charges, stating that too much time had passed and that the evidence was insufficient to prove the accusation to a jury.
In 2018, Mayorga filed a civil lawsuit against Ronaldo, seeking to overturn the confidentiality agreement and claiming conspiracy, defamation, breach of contract, coercion, and fraud. She sought damages of more than $25 million. However, in June 2022, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey dismissed the case, ruling that the "Football Leaks" documents and the confidentiality agreement were privileged attorney-client discussions and could not be considered as evidence. Judge Dorsey also took the unusual step of levying a $335,000 fine against Mayorga's lawyer, Leslie Mark Stovall, for acting in "bad faith" by using the leaked documents.
Mayorga's lawyer appealed the dismissal of the case, arguing that the confidentiality agreement should be made public and that Ronaldo or his associates had violated the agreement before the Der Spiegel article was published. In October 2024, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments from both sides but did not issue an immediate ruling. The outcome of this appeal is pending.
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Kathryn Mayorga's accusation
Kathryn Mayorga accused Cristiano Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009. Mayorga, an American woman, was a budding model at the time and was working at a nightclub. She met Ronaldo, a famous football player, at the club and later went to his hotel room with him and a group of other people.
Mayorga accused Ronaldo of raping her anally and without a condom. She said that she repeatedly said "no" and tried to push him away, but he wouldn't stop. She also claimed that he paid her $375,000 to stay silent about the incident.
In 2010, Mayorga accepted $375,000 as an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo and his representatives. However, in 2018, she claimed that she was "mentally incapacitated" when she accepted the settlement and filed a civil lawsuit. She is seeking £56.5 million in damages, including £18 million for past and future "pain and suffering" and £18 million in punitive damages.
Ronaldo has strongly denied all the allegations made against him, and no criminal charges have ever been filed. In response to the accusations, he said, "I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything I am and believe in."
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Ronaldo's denial of the accusation
Cristiano Ronaldo, the five-time world player of the year, has been accused of rape by Kathryn Mayorga, an American woman. Mayorga alleges that Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009 and paid her $375,000 for her silence. Following these accusations, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reopened its investigation into the case.
Ronaldo has vehemently denied the accusations, labelling them as "fake news" in a social media post. In a statement on Twitter, he wrote, "I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense."
Ronaldo's lawyers have also denied the rape accusation, and at one point, threatened to sue the German newsmagazine that first published Mayorga's accusations. His football club, Juventus, has expressed its support for Ronaldo, appreciating his "great professionalism and dedication" and stating that Mayorga’s accusations "do not change this opinion."
Despite Ronaldo's denial and the ongoing investigation, the accusations have had repercussions for his travel plans and football schedule. Tournament organizers have taken his legal troubles into consideration, and as a result, Juventus's games for the International Champions Cup were moved from the United States to Asia. This decision was made to avoid the risk of Ronaldo being detained by US authorities in relation to the rape allegations.
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Juventus's decision to avoid the US
In 2019, Juventus made the decision to avoid travelling to the United States for their pre-season tour. This was due to the risk of their star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, being detained by US authorities in relation to an ongoing rape investigation in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department had reopened an investigation into accusations by an American woman, Kathryn Mayorga, who claimed that Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009 and subsequently paid her $350,000-$375,000 to buy her silence.
Juventus opted to participate in the Asian version of the annual International Champions Cup tournament, with games held in Singapore and China. This decision allowed the club to avoid any potential legal issues for Ronaldo in the US and ensured his availability for the pre-season matches.
While Juventus stood behind Ronaldo, expressing appreciation for his "great professionalism and dedication", they also took steps to mitigate the potential impact of the investigation on their team's activities. By avoiding the US, Juventus removed the risk of their star player being unavailable or facing legal consequences during the pre-season tour.
In subsequent years, Juventus has returned to the US for their Summer Tour. In 2023, the club participated in the Soccer Champions Tour, playing matches in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Orlando. This decision to return to the US may have been influenced by the resolution of Ronaldo's legal issues or a strategic choice based on the club's marketing and business interests in the American market.
In a separate development, Juventus made headlines in 2024 with another decision regarding the US. The club reportedly removed USMNT star Weston McKennie from their roster, as they were aiming to sell the American midfielder due to stalled contract renewal talks and salary disputes. However, recent reports suggest that Juventus and McKennie are now open to discussing new terms for a longer commitment, potentially leading to McKennie's reintegration into the first team.
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The International Champions Cup
The ICC is owned and operated by Relevent Sports Group, founded by RSE ventures, a sports venture firm based in northern New Jersey. It replaced the World Football Challenge, which had a more even distribution of European and American teams.
The 2019 International Champions Cup was the seventh edition of the tournament. A total of 12 teams participated, with 17 venues announced on March 26, 2019, and the match schedule revealed on March 28. Each team played three matches, for a total of 18 matches. The 12 teams were ranked based on results, with the best-ranked team crowned champions.
The tournament was won by Portuguese club Benfica. Other teams that participated included Manchester United, AC Milan, SL Benfica, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich.
The 2020 edition of the ICC was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the tournament has not returned since. However, the Women's International Champions Cup has continued, with tournaments held in 2021 and 2022.
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Frequently asked questions
Ronaldo can travel to the United States, but he may be detained by authorities due to an ongoing rape investigation.
Kathryn Mayorga, an American woman, accused Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009 and paying her $375,000 for her silence.
Ronaldo has denied the allegations, calling them "fake news" and stating that rape is an "abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in".
No, it is reported that Ronaldo did not travel to the United States for Juventus' pre-season tour in 2018 and 2019 to avoid the risk of being detained by authorities.
No, at this stage, there are only allegations against Ronaldo, and he has not been charged with a crime.