Authorities Issue Warrant for Cristiano Ronaldo’s DNA After Rape Allegation: WSJ
WHOA
Las Vegas authorities have issued a warrant to collect the DNA of soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo as part of an investigation into a rape allegation, according to a Thursday report from The Wall Street Journal. The warrant was reportedly sent to authorities in Italy, where Ronaldo plays for the club Juventus. Last September, Kathryn Mayorga accused Ronaldo of raping her at a hotel room in Las Vegas in 2009 and coercing her into signing a $375,000 non-disclosure agreement. The Journal notes that Mayorga claims she begged Ronaldo to stop assaulting her, and that the complaint alleges that “when Cristiano Ronaldo completed the sexual assault of the plaintiff, he allowed her to leave the bedroom stating he was sorry, he was usually a gentleman.” Ronaldo has vehemently denied the allegations, claiming that the encounter was consensual. One of the important pieces of evidence in the case, the Journal adds, is the dress Mayorga wore on the night she was allegedly assaulted. Investigators found a second person’s DNA on the garment; the DNA test will allow them to confirm if it belongs to Ronaldo.