Topline
A woman who previously accused Conor McGregor of sexually assaulting her at an NBA game in 2023 has filed a lawsuit against the former mixed martial arts fighter, who was found liable for sexual assault in a separate case late last year.
The mixed martial arts fighter was found liable for sexual assault in a separate case late last … [+]
Key Facts
The lawsuit, filed by attorney James Dunn in the Southern District of Florida, alleges McGregor sexually assaulted the woman while attending an NBA game at the Kaseya Center, the home arena of the Miami Heat, on June 9, 2023, though McGregor has denied the allegations and authorities declined to bring criminal charges in the matter.
The unnamed woman—described as a 49-year-old vice president of a “high-profile financial institution”—claims she was grabbed by McGregor, 36, and pulled into the men’s restroom, where she was then sexually assaulted by McGregor.
An acquaintance of the woman said she and the woman tried to leave the arena before the incident and were approached by an unnamed member of McGregor’s team, who said McGregor would “kill me if I lose you” and requested the woman meet McGregor elsewhere, according to the lawsuit.
Staff and security at the Kaseya Center—a co-defendant accused of gross negligence—allegedly prevented the acquaintance from following the woman and McGregor into the bathroom (the Kaseya Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment).
The Kaseya Center provided “special treatment” to McGregor by allowing him to pour his own alcoholic drinks and failed to cut off his access to those drinks, the lawsuit claims, and the arena’s staff had “chargeable knowledge of a heightened risk of battery being carried out” by McGregor.
The woman has requested more than $75,000 in damages, medical treatment costs and other relief at an amount that would be determined by a court.
Barbara Llanes, McGregor’s attorney, told Forbes prosecutors concluded in 2023 there was “no case to pursue,” saying the plaintiff has a “new false story,” while suggesting the case will likely be dismissed.
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Contra
The woman filed an incident report with the Miami Police Department on June 11, 2023, though the Florida State Attorney’s Office reportedly declined to move forward with charges against McGregor. Dunn told Forbes that because prosecutors refused to file criminal charges, a civil suit is the “only avenue that my client has to seek justice in this case.”
Key Background
McGregor, a former UFC champion, has faced other allegations of sexual assault in recent years. In 2023, the woman alleged McGregor had “violently” forced himself on her and attempted to force her into multiple sexual acts. The Miami Police Department told ESPN the report filed by the woman was under investigation, though no additional action was taken. Llanes denied the allegations against her client, saying McGregor would “not be intimidated.” A jury in Dublin awarded a woman about $257,000 in November, after she said McGregor and another man “brutally raped and battered” her in 2018. McGregor, who was found liable for sexual assault, denied the claims during testimony and said he would appeal the jury’s decision.
Tangent
After a brawl backstage during a UFC fight in 2018, McGregor was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. He reached a plea deal while pleading guilty to disorderly conduct, avoiding jail time. Forbes had ranked McGregor as the highest-paid athlete in 2021.
Further Reading
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