Cristiano Ronaldo rape lawsuit thrown out by judge

The Nevada woman who says soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo raped her in 2009 lost her bid to get millions more than the $375,000 in hush money she has already received.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey in Las Vegas threw out Kathryn Mayorga’s case, punishing the woman’s attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, for “bad-faith conduct” and the use of “purloined” confidential documents that the judge said tainted the case beyond redemption.

Mayorga, a teacher turned model, claimed Ronaldo forced himself on her in a suite at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas while the two were partying with others.

The Manchester United star has repeatedly denied the encounter was rape. Police reopened their investigation into the case in 2018, but no charges were brought.

The pair had reportedly reached out an out-of-court settlement in 2010, but Mayorga sued seeking $75 million more in damages.

In Friday’s 42-page order, Dorsey said dismissing a case outright with no option to file it again is a severe sanction, but that Ronaldo had been harmed by Stovall’s conduct.

“I find that the procurement and continued use of these documents was bad faith, and simply disqualifying Stovall will not cure the prejudice to Ronaldo because the misappropriated documents and their confidential contents have been woven into the very fabric of Mayorga’s claims,” the ruling said. “Harsh sanctions are merited.”

The decision can be appealed to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Stovall did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment and Ronaldo’s attorney in Las Vegas, Peter Christiansen, was traveling and was not immediately reachable for comment, according to the Associated Press.

With Post wires