Cristiano Ronaldo sued by accuser for alleged sexual assault in 2009

On Saturday, German news outlet Der Spiegel published a report outlining allegations made by an American woman named Kathryn Mayorga who says soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo sexually assaulted her in 2009 and has now filed a civil complaint against him.

In 2017, Der Spiegel acquired a copy of a settlement reached by Mayorga and Ronaldo’s camp months after the alleged incident. Mayorga was reportedly paid $375,000 and signed a non-disclosure agreement.

In the story published by Der Spiegel in 2017, Mayorga — who was identified at that time by the pseudonym “Susan K.” — declined to comment, and Ronaldo’s camp denied the story, calling it a piece of “journalistic fiction.”

Mayorga has now decided to come forward and make the allegations public.

Detailing her decision to come forward now, Der Spiegel wrote:

[Mayorga’s new attorney] believes the non-disclosure agreement is not legally binding and he has filed a civil complaint against Ronaldo in Kathryn Mayorga’s name. That complaint is supported by a 27-page document that could have far-reaching consequences for the football star. The document contains a version of how Ronaldo experienced that night, including the following quote: “She said no and stop several times.”

In a 25-tweet thread published on Sunday, Der Spiegel journalist Christoph Winterbach outlined the publication’s process for verifying the story.

Ronaldo declined to comment after the allegations resurfaced in 2018.

To read the entire story, visit Der Spiegel, though warning: The story contains a detailed account of the alleged sexual assault.