Michael Irvin accused of rape at Seminole Hard Rock/ESPN 103.3 Show Canceled *Merge*

[cajuncocoa]

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ
DMOSKOVITZ@MIAMIHERALD.COM

A woman who says she was raped by football star Michael Irvin at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino filed a civil lawsuit against him Thursday in Broward Circuit Court.

Although no criminal charges have been filed, the Broward State Attorney's Office has been looking into the case and is expected to reach a conclusion next week, said spokesman Ron Ishoy.

The woman said the attack happened in 2007, in the late hours of July 4 or early July 5. The suit doesn't name the woman, referring to her as Jane Doe.

Irvin's lawyer, Larry Friedman, called the accusations ``totally untrue.''

When asked to describe her contact with Irvin, Friedman said, ``Beyond, perhaps, meeting her, there was nothing.''

In the suit, the woman said Irvin bought her alcohol to get her drunk, then lured her to his hotel room. That's where he and another man tried stuffing money into her clothes, the suit said.

She said Irvin and the other man insisted on sexual favors. She said no.

That's when the unidentified man held her down and covered her mouth, according to the suit, then Irvin raped her, she said. When Irvin was done, the other man forced her to perform oral sex.

Afterward, Irvin's brother, Derrick Irvin, came in and took her to another room and ``assisted in covering the sexual assault and rape up,'' according to the civil lawsuit.

The one man is unidentified because the woman doesn't know who he is, said her lawyer, David Lister.

It was reported to Seminole police on July 20, 2007, Seminole Tribe spokesman Gary Bitner said.

``They investigated it thoroughly,'' Bitner said. ``Although by that time there was no longer any forensic evidence or surveillance video.''

A day later, the woman signed a waiver of prosecution, which Bitner attributed to ``her desire to essentially put it behind her and not have it be splashed all over the newspapers.''

Bitner said the tribe turned over its findings to Broward prosecutors.

The woman's lawyer, Lister, said he had no comment about the Seminole police investigation.

He said his client had passed a polygraph test.

Lister also said his client and Irvin's counsel had been in negotiations for a financial settlement, but those talks stalled, prompting the lawsuit filed three days before the Super Bowl is being played in Miami.

``There were discussion back and forth between the parties,'' Lister said, adding that Irvin's representatives had asked for a settlement figure. ``Nothing came of it.''

Friedman, Irvin's attorney, called the discussions attempts at extortion.

He said the woman came forward last year, after Irvin appeared on a few episodes of the television show Dancing With the Stars.

First, she wanted $1 million, Friedman said, then came down to $800,000.

Each time, Friedman said no.

``This complaint is tantamount to criminal extortion,'' Friedman said. ``There is no merit to the complaint.''

Irvin, an NFL Hall of Famer, grew up in Fort Lauderdale and was a star at the University of Miami before joining the Dallas Cowboys.

He's had run-ins with the law, including pleading no contest to a cocaine charge in 1996.

Later in that same year, Irvin and a teammate were accused with sexually assaulting a woman. An investigation revealed the woman had made up the story and she soon recanted.

Miami Herald staff writer Michael Vasquez contributed to this report.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/story/1463608.html

 

[Cover 2]

I hope it's not true.

 

[Coy]

Hope it's not true, I love that guy.

 

[rockj7]

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ
DMOSKOVITZ@MIAMIHERALD.COM

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/story/1463608.html

A day later, the woman signed a waiver of prosecution, which Bitner attributed to ``her desire to essentially put it behind her and not have it be splashed all over the newspapers.''

I dont want to get stoned on this site but something in this statement is not adding up.

 

[Gemini Dolly]

This sux

ETA: And even if its not true, the damage is done.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Wow, this isn't good PR for Irvin...

 

[Hoofbite]

Doubtful.

She already came up dry on her initial reporting of it and is looking for a handout.

 

[dadymat]

I call total BS...MONEY GRUBBER

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I doubt it's true but it's just been a bad week for Cowboys.

 

[CF74]

Gold digging should be punishable by public stoning...

 

[theogt]

LOL @ the timing of the announcement. Super Bowl week?

:money:

 

[cajuncocoa]

I love Michael Irvin. I made the trip to Ohio to see him inducted into the HOF. His speech brought the crowd to tears, and I really believed he was determined to put his previous "troubles" behind him.

I hope to God this is not true.

 

[NeonNinja]

LOL @ the timing of the announcement. Super Bowl week?

:money:

Certainly smells of that.

 

[Hoofbite]

A day later, the woman signed a waiver of prosecution, which Bitner attributed to ``her desire to essentially put it behind her and not have it be splashed all over the newspapers.''

I dont want to get stoned on this site but something in this statement is not adding up.

So she reported it and then pretty much gave up on it the next day?

What a joke.

I agree, false accusations should get a stoning.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

Gold digging should be punishable by public stoning...

I'm still angry at that last woman who accused him and Eric Williams of Rape. I'm convinced that she cost us a playoff win.

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

She should serve jail time if/when its not true.

The accusation alone is enough to destroy him. Can he even do NFLN right now?

 

[cajuncocoa]

Michael Irvin accused of rape

Posted by Mike Florio on February 4, 2010 10:45 PM ET

Former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin is back in Florida this week as part of the pre-Super Bowl festivities. He's broadcasting his ESPN Radio Dallas show from the Media Center in Fort Lauderdale, and like many of the former players milling about Radio Row he looks like he could still suit up and go right now.

But any sense of celebration has been tempered by the news that a civil suit alleging sexual assault has been filed against Irvin. According to the Miami Herald, Irvin allegedly raped a woman at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

A decision on whether criminal charges will be pursued is pending.

The alleged incident occurred in July 2007, a month before he gave a stirring speech upon entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Irvin, through his lawyer, denies the allegations, calling them "totally untrue."

The action comes after negotiations on a financial settlement stalled. The woman reportedly wanted $1 million, then dropped her demand to $800,000.

"This complaint is tantamount to criminal extortion,'' attorney Larry Friedman told the Herald. "There is no merit to the complaint.''

Though it's rare for anyone to admit to engaging in criminal conduct, Irvin is entitled to the presumption of innocence in a court of law.

In the court of public opinion, Irvin's history might work against him. But he seems to have changed his ways, so he merits in our view the benefit of the doubt.

 

[cajuncocoa]

I'm still angry at that last woman who accused him and Eric Williams of Rape. I'm convinced that she cost us a playoff win.

So am I.

I was so MAD, I even remember her name: Nina Shahravan.

 

[jobberone]

I see both sides of the equation. Irvin should be presumed to be innocent. OTOH, we should be sensitive to any person who says they been abused.

 

[rojan]

Wow!! this is happening way to much to celebrities..This is complete extortion and there should be serious jail time for the person filing the charges if it is clear after the trail that she was making it up...

I hope he doesn't lose his NFLNetwork job over this.