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What allegations did Kathryn Mayorga make against Cristiano Ronaldo regarding the 2009 Las Vegas encounter?
Executive summary
Kathryn Mayorga has alleged that Cristiano Ronaldo raped her in a Las Vegas hotel penthouse after they met at a nightclub on June 12–13, 2009, and that she later accepted a $375,000 settlement and confidentiality agreement which she says was procured under pressure and by a team of “fixers” [1] [2] [3]. Ronaldo has consistently denied the assault, saying the encounter was consensual; U.S. prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges in 2019 and a federal judge later dismissed a later civil suit because Mayorga’s lawyer relied on leaked and stolen documents [4] [5] [6].
1. The core allegation: rape in a Palms penthouse
Mayorga’s central claim is that after meeting Ronaldo at the Rain Nightclub in the Palms Hotel on June 12, 2009, she and a friend were invited to his suite and that Ronaldo sexually assaulted and raped her in a bedroom that night; she says she told him “no” several times and that he forced sex and then prevented her from leaving [1] [7] [3].
2. Immediate aftermath: police contact and medical documentation
Mayorga reportedly contacted Las Vegas police the day after the encounter and had injuries documented, according to reporting that says she filed a complaint in June 2009 and that police reopened the investigation years later; the Clark County District Attorney later said the original report did not identify a suspect clearly enough for prosecution at the time [8] [5] [4].
3. The settlement and confidentiality agreement
In 2010, Mayorga and Ronaldo reached an out-of-court settlement that her lawyers say paid her $375,000 in return for a confidentiality (non‑disclosure) agreement; Mayorga’s team argues she accepted under emotional duress and that “fixers” working for Ronaldo pressured or manipulated the process [2] [3] [9]. Ronaldo’s lawyers have acknowledged the settlement but say it is not an admission of guilt [2].
4. Competing versions: consent vs. assault
Ronaldo has consistently denied the allegation and maintains the sexual encounter was consensual; his statements and legal team emphasize that he met Mayorga, that they had sex, and that he has a “clear” conscience about the matter [5] [6]. Some documents reported by Der Spiegel and other outlets contain differing accounts—questionnaires attributed to Ronaldo described consensual sex in some versions—while Mayorga’s later accounts describe force and refusal [8] [10].
5. Investigations, prosecutors and civil litigation outcomes
Las Vegas prosecutors in 2019 said they would not file criminal charges because the allegations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and investigators said the original report did not specify a suspect location or name clearly enough for a meaningful probe [4] [5]. In U.S. civil court, a federal judge dismissed Mayorga’s later lawsuit in 2022 partly because her lawyer relied on stolen and leaked documents in pursuing the case; the judge found the use of those materials prejudicial to Ronaldo [4] [11].
6. Leaked documents, Football Leaks and media reporting
Der Spiegel’s 2017 reporting — based in part on documents from Football Leaks — brought the allegation back into public view and published what it said were sensitive documents; that reporting and other leaked materials have been focal points for both sides’ narratives, with Mayorga’s camp saying the leaks exposed a cover-up and Ronaldo’s team calling some documents fabricated or improperly obtained [10] [11] [7].
7. Legal costs, sanctions, and unresolved civil claims
Courts later penalized Mayorga’s lawyer for his role in using stolen materials: a judge ordered him to pay part of Ronaldo’s legal fees and found the lawyer acted in bad faith by relying on illicitly obtained records [12] [6]. Appeals and procedural fights over the settlement’s enforceability have continued in U.S. courts, reflecting the case’s complex legal history [13].
8. What reporting agrees on — and what remains contested
Reporting consistently states Mayorga alleges rape in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009 and that a $375,000 settlement followed; it also consistently records Ronaldo’s denial and that no criminal conviction was reached [1] [2] [4]. What remains contested in the public record are the factual details of consent, the provenance and reliability of leaked documents, and whether the settlement was procured under improper pressure — matters that courts and prosecutors have examined with differing conclusions [10] [4] [6].
Limitations: available sources do not include police files or the sealed settlement text in full; criminal prosecutors’ public statements and federal court rulings form the basis of the documented legal outcomes summarized here [4] [6].