Conor McGregor is facing a civil lawsuit filed by a woman accusing him of sexual assault during the 2023 NBA finals in Miami.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in the US district court for the southern district of Florida, also names the Miami Heat and Basketball Properties LLC, which operates the Kaseya Center, as defendants.
The woman alleges that Mr McGregor sexually assaulted her in a bathroom at the arena after Game 4 between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets on June 9th, 2023.
Mr McGregor has denied the allegations, calling them a “shakedown”. His attorney, Barbara Llanes, stated, “Almost two years and at least three lawyers later the plaintiff has a new false story. We are confident that this case too will be dismissed.”
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In this case, the plaintiff, identified as a 49-year-old Wall Street vice-president, claims Mr McGregor was served alcohol by arena staff despite being visibly intoxicated. The lawsuit accuses Mr McGregor of battery and the Kaseya Center of gross negligence for failing to ensure a safe environment. It alleges that Mr McGregor led the woman into a restroom stall and sexually assaulted her after an associate forcibly took her to Mr McGregor.
The suit seeks compensatory damages exceeding $75,000, medical expenses and other relief.
The incident was initially reported to Miami police on June 11th, 2023. However, in October 2023, the Florida state attorney’s office declined to pursue criminal charges.
The lawsuit also highlights an earlier incident that night when Mr McGregor punched the Miami Heat mascot, Burnie, during a half-time skit promoting a pain relief spray, resulting in the mascot’s hospitalisation. Despite this, arena staff allegedly continued serving Mr McGregor alcohol.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Jim Dunn, said that the civil suit is his client’s only remaining avenue for justice. Mr Dunn noted that his client aims to raise awareness about sexual assault and is concerned about the lawsuit’s potential impact on her career. “Nonetheless, her main goal in filing this suit is to raise awareness and encourage others to report sexual assault,” Mr Dunn said.
Neither the Miami Heat nor Basketball Properties LLC has commented on the latest lawsuit.
In Ireland, a jury at the High Court found against Mr McGregor last year in a civil rape case taken by Dublin woman Nikita Hand.
Ms Hand (35) was last November awarded almost €250,000 damages after a High Court jury upheld her civil claim that she was raped by the Mixed Martial Arts fighter in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. – Guardian