CONOR McGregor’s rape accuser was offered $100,000 in hush money by the NBA, her lawyer said today.
McGregor, 34, is claimed to have been filmed leading a woman by the hand into the men’s bathroom before he allegedly raped her at the NBA Finals.
GettyConor McGregor seen at the 2023 NBA Finals on June 9 in Miami, Florida[/caption]
The UFC star has strenuously denied assaulting a woman at the June 9 NBA game in Florida.
The alleged victim’s lawyer, Ariel Mitchell, said officials at the Miami Heat and the NBA have been scrambling to keep the alleged incident quiet.
Mitchell told the Daily Mail: “The NBA offered us $100,000 to keep this quiet. They rescinded the offer when the news broke.”
The lawyer said the woman is seeking settlements with the NBA, the Heat and McGregor.
Mike Bass, the NBA’s chief communications officer, denied the alleged victim was offered any money.
He described the claim as “categorically false”.
Mitchell also accused the Heat and the Miami police of “mishandling” the aftermath of the alleged attack.
She told The US Sun: “My client didn’t seek out money first.
“On Sunday, before she hired me or sought out any legal counsel, she went to the police directly.
“And the police escorted her out of the building and told her that if she were to report it right then, within 20 minutes, it would go viral and that she should seek legal counsel to either try to resolve this before she filed a report or to help her navigate it if she did file a report.
“Sunday night, she contacted a former client of mine and then they contacted me.
“On Monday I sent out the demand letters.”
The alleged victim reportedly hired Mitchell – who then took her back to the police station June 14, four days after the alleged incident.
Miami Police officer Michael Vega, the department’s spokesman, reportedly insisted a case was opened on June 11 when the alleged victim first came into a police station.
Mitchell also claimed security guards at the Heat blocked the woman from leaving the bathroom during the alleged assault.
“Some of the security guards who stood by when this happened were not McGregor’s. They were hired by the Heat,” Mitchell told the Daily Mail.
“They decided to cater to a celebrity instead of protecting a young woman in trouble.”
It comes after McGregor’s fiancée jetted to New York City to celebrate Father’s Day after he was accused of sexual assault.
Days after the allegation, McGregor’s pregnant fiancée Dee Devlin has flown to New York City to be by his side.
McGregor shared pictures on his Instagram page showing Dee flashing her engagement ring as they celebrated Father’s Day.
The pair are expecting their fourth child together and have been together since 2008.
The NBA offered us $100,000 to keep this quiet. They rescinded the offer when the news broke
Ariel Mitchell
McGregor emerged from his New York hotel to sign autographs on Sunday.
The Irish MMA star was greeted by fans outside his Manhattan hotel, after saying he looked forward to a “swift conclusion” to the sexual assault claims.
McGregor has continued to deny any wrongdoing amid claims he sexually assaulted a woman in a bathroom at an NBA game.
The woman claims McGregor “aggressively kissed” her following the Denver Nuggets’ win against Miami Heat.
But the Dublin native branded the allegation against him as “false” and a “shakedown”.
Footage obtained by TMZ Sports appears to show the woman and McGregor around 12.40am inside the Kaseya Center in Miami – about 30 minutes after the woman claims she was attacked.
The woman can be seen at a table in the club holding drinks and appears to exchange words with the Irishman. Moments later McGregor leaves the area.
According to the woman’s attorney, Ariel Mitchell, the video shows her client and McGregor were “visibly awkwardly interacting with each other” – something she alleges the two were not doing prior to their restroom encounter.
“My client has always stated that there would be video of before and after, and in those videos she emphasised that the difference in the interactions between them would be visibly noticeable,” Mitchell said in a statement to TMZ Sports.
The woman has given cops her clothes for DNA analysis but there has been no suggestion that McGregor has been arrested.
A UFC spokesperson said: “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.”
A Miami Heat spokesperson added: “We are aware of the allegations and are conducting a full investigation.”