The return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United has been the talk of the football world this weekend, and there has certainly been a major buzz, everywhere, about all of it.
However, the media coverage, almost all of which has been overwhelmingly glowing, has pretty much overlooked the situation involving Kathryn Mayorga, the woman who has accused him of rape. A feminist group named Level Up changed the narrative yesterday by flying a banner over Old Trafford during Ronaldo’s first game back with United.
A plane with the message 'Believe Kathryn Mayorga' has been flown over Old Trafford during Cristiano Ronaldo's first game back at Manchester United.
Mayorga has accused Ronaldo of rape, an accusation he has denied. https://t.co/iXre2zV7kZ
— Rob O'Hanrahan (@RobOHanrahan) September 11, 2021
On the pitch, Ronaldo delivered the goods, scoring twice to lead United to a 4-1 win over Newcastle.
Off the pitch, Level Up’s airplane banner read #Believe Kathryn Mayorga in support of the woman who currently has a pending civil case against the Portugese superstar.
Mayorga claims that she was raped in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2009, but at the time did not reveal the name of whom her alleged rapist was.
In 2010, she signed a non-disclosure agreement and accepted hush money from Ronaldo and his legal team.
In October of 2018, she came forward publicly with her accusations and Nevada legal authorities re-opened the criminal case.
In July of 2019, a judge ruled that Ronaldo would not face criminal charges, as the case was deemed not strong enough to potentially bring a prosecution.
This past April, it became public knowledge that the former model and schoolteacher from Henderson, Nevada has filed a civil case.
The suit alleges that she was not in a mental state capable of signing a NDA at the time, and therefore she is seeking £56 million ($77.4m, 64.5 EUR) in punitive damages.
This is a news storyline that certainly won’t be going away any time soon.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.