Adam Fradgley – AMA/West Bromwich Albion FC through Getty PhotosExcessive-profile British sports activities agent Jonathan Barnett has been accused of raping a girl greater than 39 instances, in a US lawsuit.
In a civil grievance lodged at a US district courtroom in Los Angeles, the unnamed lady, known as “Jane Doe”, says Mr Barnett “trafficked” her from Australia to the UK in 2017, “tortured” and saved her as a “intercourse slave” over a six 12 months interval.
She says Mr Barnett made “repeated threats to her life and the lives of her minor youngsters”.
The 75-year-old identified for representing main footballers together with Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish, says the fees “haven't any foundation in actuality and are unfaithful”.
“We are going to vigorously defend this lawsuit by way of the suitable authorized course of. I'm wanting ahead to being completely vindicated and exonerated,” a press release from his attorneys mentioned.
Mr Barnett was ranked because the world's strongest sports activities agent in 2019 by Forbes journal.
The civil case was filed on Wednesday.
In response to courtroom paperwork, the pair first met within the Nineteen Nineties by way of knowledgeable athlete in London and reconnected on-line after which in individual in 2017.
Inside a matter of weeks she relocated to the UK along with her teenage youngsters – with sports activities company CAA Stellar, headed by Mr Barnett, protecting shifting bills.
The submitting says that upon her arrival, he instructed her he “owned” her and raped her in a lodge room.
Mr Barnett went on to impose strict guidelines to obey him always, referring to him as “My Grasp” and to “by no means say it hurts”, in accordance with the lawsuit.
The grievance goes on to explain alleged degrading acts that included ingesting urine or ingesting faeces.
The alleged torture additionally included the girl “tied up in a single day with out meals or water”.
She says she was “trafficked, threatened, tortured, and held” in bondage in several places all through the world, together with Los Angeles, from 2017 to 2023.
“Realising she was powerless in opposition to a harmful predator, Ms Doe submitted to Barnett with a view to keep away from being severely overwhelmed and even killed,” the lawsuit mentioned.
“Jane Doe” can also be suing Hollywood expertise agency Artistic Artists Company and sports activities company CAA Stellar, the place Mr Barnett was govt chairman till his retirement final 12 months.
The courtroom paperwork state the CAA Stellar's guardian firms, expertise businesses ICM and CAA, “failed to seek out and/or willfully or recklessly disregarded” that substantial funds have been made between 2017 and 2023, regardless of the girl not being an athlete or agent.
It's claimed Barnett referred to her as “slave” in emails despatched from his work account.
Courtroom paperwork say Mr Barnett used his “cash and energy to keep up coercive management” over the girl who was “in worry of her life and the lives of her youngsters”.
Legal professionals for “Jane Doe” state the case is about “institutional abuse on the highest degree”.
They're in search of compensation on her behalf.
In response to LA Instances, CAA mentioned it first heard of the girl's allegations final 12 months when her attorneys made settlement calls for – and the press inquired.
“Whereas the grievance makes an attempt to attach these allegations to CAA's enterprise, Ms Doe has by no means been an worker, advisor, or contractor of CAA, ICM, or Stellar, nor has she ever had any enterprise connection to CAA, ICM, or Stellar,” CAA mentioned in its assertion.
“CAA takes any allegations of this nature significantly, and thru counsel, promptly urged Ms Doe to contact legislation enforcement in the UK.”
