Ronaldo's rape lawsuit gets dismissed by a US judge
A US judge has dismissed Manchester United and Portugal soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo's rape lawsuit in Las Vegas because the evidence cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The decision comes nearly three years after prosecutors in Las Vegas said Ronaldo would face no charges in connection with a 10-year-old sexual assault claim.
In September 2018, Kathryn Mayorga filed a civil case in Nevada state court accusing Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel penthouse room in 2009 and then paid her $375,000 in hush money.
Ronaldo, who plays for Manchester United in the Premier League, has maintained his innocence.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey dismissed the lawsuit due to the manner in which the records were obtained.
"I find that the acquisition and continued use of these papers was in bad faith," the judge wrote in her decision.
"Simply dismissing Stovall will not alleviate Ronaldo's prejudice because the misappropriated documents and their secret information are woven into the very fabric of (the plaintiff's) allegations."
