Conor McGregor Was Accused Of Sexual Assault–Here's What We ...

16 Jun 2023

Forbes

Topline

Connor McGregor, the Irish UFC star who has often found himself in the spotlight for violence and controversy, was accused of raping a woman in a restroom during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami according to multiple reports (McGregor has denied the allegations with his lawyer calling them “no more than a shakedown”).

Conor McGregor speaks onstage during the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at Barclays Center in New York ... [+] City. McGregor has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman during Game 4 of the NBA Finals June 9 in Miami. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS)

Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS Key Facts

In legal documents from the alleged victim’s lawyer to McGregor and obtained by several news organizations including ESPN, an unnamed woman said McGregor "violently" forced himself on her inside a VIP men's restroom at Kaseya Center in Miami during Game 4 of the NBA Finals June 9.

The documents, written by attorney Ariel Mitchell and sent to McGregor, the NBA and the Miami Heat, allege McGregor “aggressively kissed” the woman and forced her into multiple sexual acts, according to ESPN.

The documents also reportedly allege that Miami Heat and NBA security aided McGregor in his attack by separating the woman from her friend and forcing her into the restroom.

TMZ Sports, which was the first to report the allegations, has obtained a video that purportedly shows McGregor leading the alleged victim into the restroom, but the video is brief and far from a complete picture of that night’s events.

The Miami Police Department reportedly told ESPN Thursday the department’s special victims unit is investigating a report filed Sunday.

McGregor denied the allegations through his attorney, Barbara Llanes, who said in a statement to Forbes, “After the video was released by TMZ, the claimant’s lawyer now has changed her story. Mr. McGregor welcomes the investigation, which he firmly believes will show the claims against him are false. After not responding to the demand for money made by claimant’s counsel, she turned to the media to apply pressure. This is no more than a shakedown.”

Key Background

McGregor is the wealthiest fighter in MMA history. He ranked No. 35 on Forbes’ 2022 list of best-paid athletes, making an estimated $43 million a year. He’s a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, has competed in some of the most lucrative pay-per-view events in fighting sports and has invested his earnings into the Irish whiskey distiller he founded in 2018, Proper No. Twelve. He sold his majority stake in that company for an estimated $150 million in April 2021. McGregor has a history of violence and run-ins with the law. In 2018, he was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief after he stormed a UFC press conference in New York City, threw guard rails at a bus carrying UFC fighters and smashed a window, sending two fighters to the hospital and rendering them unable to compete, according to news reports at the time including Business Insider. In 2019, the New York Times reported that McGregor was under investigation by Irish police in connection to allegations he sexually assaulted a woman in a Dublin hotel in December 2018. Soon after, a second allegation arose that he assaulted a woman in a car earlier that month.

What To Watch For

Any litigation or criminal charges. The letter warned about possible litigation and instructed McGregor to preserve all potential evidence pertinent to the case. The Miami Police Department told ESPN it is launching an investigation into a report filed Sunday, but remained otherwise silent on the matter. Outside of legal developments, disciplinary action through the UFC, where McGregor rose to international stardom as a MMA fighter, is possible. The UFC released a statement Thursday saying it’s “aware of the recent allegations regarding Conor McGregor and will continue to gather additional details regarding the incident.” The organization said it will allow the legal process to progress before making any additional statements.