Editor’s note: The article has been updated at 2:40 p.m. ET to
add a statement from the UFC. It was edited again at 3:10 p.m. ET
to reflect a statement from the Miami Heat.
Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor
McGregor and his team have denied the allegations.
According to
TMZ on Thursday, a woman represented by attorney Ariel Mitchell
penned demand letters claiming that she was raped by McGregor on
June 9. McGregor was present at the fourth game of the NBA Finals
between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat, and he was involved in a
halftime skit that sent the Heat’s mascot to the hospital when it
went awry. After the game ended, per the letters, a member of
McGregor’s security team forced the woman into a stadium restroom,
and McGregor allegedly assaulted her in it.
TMZ relayed that the letters wrote, “security refused to let [the
woman] exit or allow anyone else, including her friend, inside the
bathroom.” They then stated that McGregor came out of a handicapped
stall in that bathroom and “shoved his tongue in the victim’s mouth
and aggressively kissed her.”
From there, things escalated, as these letters explained. She was
able to momentarily get some space by telling McGregor she had to
urinate, where at that point he allegedly forced her to perform
oral sex on him. In the letters, the woman claimed he subsequently
grabbed her and pressed her against the wall, where he allegedly
tried to sodomize her.
In an effort to escape, the woman reportedly elbowed McGregor
repeatedly, and she was able to flee the scene while leaving her
purse behind. She stated that the security retrieved the purse but
would not return it, claiming they held the purse “hostage” until
she demanded they give it back. She then said she left the scene
and reported the assault to the police. Per the letters, she is
seeking restitution from the NBA, the Miami Heat and McGregor, in
the form of settlements rather than bringing the matter to
court.
The representatives of McGregor issued a statement on Thursday
morning responding to this, declaring that the accusations are
false and that McGregor “will not be intimidated.”
Since the news broke, the UFC has issued a statement on McGregor,
writing, “The organization is aware of the recent allegations
regarding Conor McGregor and will continue to gather additional
details regarding the incident. UFC will allow the legal process to
play out before making any additional statements.”
Shortly after the UFC released its statement, the Miami Heat
basketball team posted on social
media its own statement on the matter, writing, “We are aware
of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation. Pending
the outcome of the investigation, we will withhold further
comment.”
Source link
Conor McGregor Accused of Rape at June 9 NBA Finals Game