Ronaldo on rape allegation: What happened in Las Vegas was consensual

Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus striker, and his alleged rape victim had consensual sex, says the Portuguese forward’s lawyer.

Peter Christiansen, who represents the former Real Madrid attacker, says the 33-year-old “vehemently denies all accusations in this civil action,” noting that the documents being paraded by the alleged rape victim and her lawyer are “completely fabricated”.

Kathryn Mayorga had alleged that the five-time Balon d’Or winner raped her at a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.

Mayorga, 34, was reported to have lodged a complaint shortly after the alleged incident and got an out-of-court settlement of $375,000 never to speak about it again.

However, Christiansen, in a lengthy statement released on Tuesday, said although Ronaldo does not deny knowledge of the lady, but “what happened in 2009 in Las Vegas was completely consensual”.

He said the player entered into a non-disclosure agreement, but “the reasons that led him to do so” are being “distorted”, adding that it “is by no means a confession of guilt”.

He said: “What happened was simply that Cristiano Ronaldo merely followed the advice of his advisors in order to put an end to the outrageous accusations made against him, in order precisely to avoid attempts, such as those we are now witnessing, to destroy a reputation built thanks to hard work, athletic ability and behavioural correction.

“Unfortunately, it is now involved in the type of litigation that is very common in the United States.

“Cristiano Ronaldo has mandated his lawyers in the United States and Europe to deal with all legal aspects and expresses full confidence that the truth will prevail, despite the corruption of counter-information, and in which the laws of Nevada will be enforced and respected.

“The documents that allegedly contain statements by Mr Ronaldo and were reproduced in the media are pure inventions.

“By 2015, dozens of entities (including law firms) in different parts of Europe were attacked and their electronic data stolen by a cyber criminal. This hacker tried to sell such information, and a media outlet irresponsibly ended up publishing some of the stolen documents, significant parts of which were altered and/or completely fabricated.

“Once again, for the avoidance of doubt, Cristiano Ronaldo’s position has always been, and continues to be, that what happened in 2009 in Las Vegas was completely consensual,” the statement concluded.

Since the allegations surfaced, Juventus’ shares have dropped by 10 percent, while Ronaldo has also been excluded from Portuguese national team duties.

It has, however, not affected his club form as Juventus have a 100 percent record in all competitions, with Ronaldo contributing four goals and five assists.