Ronaldo says rape accusation is ‘fake news’

It is fake news.

That is what football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo said after a US woman claimed he raped her in Las Vegas in 2009, reported the Irish Times.

In an Instagram discussion with fans, the Juventus player, 33, said: "No, no, no, no, no. What they said today? Fake, fake news.

"They want to be famous to say my name, but it is part of the job. I am a happy man and all good."

Lawyers for Ronaldo said last Friday that they would sue German magazine Der Spiegel after it published "blatantly illegal" accusations by an American woman, Reuters reported.

The woman, Ms Kathryn Mayorga, 34, alleges that the rape took place in June 2009 after they met at the Palms hotel and casino.

According to court filings, she claims Ronaldo invited her, her friend and others to his penthouse suite.

He then asked her to join the group in a hot tub and gave her a pair of shorts and a T-shirt to wear, CNN reported.

Ms Mayorga says Ronaldo approached her when she was changing in the bathroom, exposed himself and asked her for oral sex.

She says she refused and alleges that Ronaldo pulled her into a bedroom and raped her as she screamed, "No, no, no".

She reported the alleged assault to police the next day but ultimately settled out of court following a 2010 mediation, according to the court filing.

She was paid US$375,000 (S$514,000) and filed a non-disclosure agreement, reported the Wall Street Journal.

But now, according to a complaint filed in Clark County, Nevada, she claims Ronaldo and his lawyers, "knowing that the plaintiff was a 'vulnerable' person", threatened to accuse her of consenting to sexual intercourse to accuse him of sexual assault and to obtain money.

Ms Mayorga wants damages and penalties in excess of US$200,000 and says she no longer feels bound by the non-disclosure agreement as she suffers from the consequences of that night from nine years ago.

"I have had like these serious breakdowns," she told the magazine. "And again, blaming of the rape. And I blame him, and I blame myself for signing that thing."

Ronaldo's lawyer Christian Schertz said in a statement that the Der Spiegel report was "an inadmissible reporting of suspicions in the area of privacy" and that he would seek legal redress for his client from the magazine.

The statement was sent to Reuters by Ronaldo's agent Gestifute in response to a request for comment on the report.

Gestifute did not answer any specific questions about the content of the report.

TOP NAME

Ronaldo is one of the biggest names in sports globally. He has been named world player of the year five times.

His current club, Italian giant Juventus, declined to comment on the report.

But Ronaldo's girlfriend, model Georgina Rodriguez, 23, took to Instagram to defend him, reported the Daily Star.

Ms Rodriguez, who has 7.4 million followers on the platform, posted in Spanish: "You always transform the obstacles that are put in your way into impulse and strength to show how great you are.

"Thank you for making us enjoy each game. Always more and better.

"I love you @cristiano."