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Adrien Broner was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in Cleveland nightclub in 2018.
[CW: This story details an incident of sexual assault]
According to TMZ Sports a court has ruled in favour of a woman who has accused professional boxer Adrien Broner of sexually assaulting her in a Cleveland nightclub. The court has ordered Broner to pay the victim over $829,000 in damages.
The victim in this case, a 35-year-old woman, launched a civil lawsuit against Broner in June. In that lawsuit she said she was sitting on a couch inside of a club in 2018 when Broner smothered her and forcibly started to kiss her. The woman said the assault continued until Broner was pulled off of her by one of his friends.
The woman filed a police report soon after the incident. Broner was charged in relation to the incident and, earlier this year, he plead guilty to assault and unlawful restraint.
In the lawsuit the victim wrote that, as a result of Broner’s actions, she has undergone months of counseling for post-traumatic stress.
After hearing the civil case against Broner, a judge said (per TMZ) that the woman had proved, “by clear and convincing evidence that [Broner] acted maliciously and that a substantial punitive award is necessary to punish and deter him from engaging in similar conduct in the future.”
The judge ruled that Broner must pay the victim $829,752. That amount will grow until Broner pays up.
The news that Broner has been found liable in this case comes just days after the boxer’s name was mentioned in a forfeiture case in Cincinnati. In that case, against Giovanni Crawford, court documents stated that Crawford and Broner were known “as being associated” with narcotics and money laundering investigations.
Broner’s attorney has denied “any and all allegations contained in this document.”
Survivors of sexual assault can find support via the following organizations:
US – Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)’s National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). RAINN also has an online chat service.
Love is Respect, 1-866-331-9474. They can also be reached via online chat or by texting LOVEIS to 22522.
End Rape on Campus (EROC), 1-424-777-EROC (3762).
Canada – Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, 1-877-232-2610.
UK – UK Says No More.
Rest of the World – International Rape Crisis Hotlines.