Yasiel Puig's Attorney Says MLB OF Denies Allegations in Sexual Battery Lawsuit
October 30, 2020
The attorney for Yasiel Puig has denied sexual battery allegations made against the free-agent outfielder in a lawsuit filed this week.
TMZ Sports noted Puig's attorney said the former All-Star "categorically denied" the allegations.
In court documents obtained by TMZ, a woman said Puig assaulted her in the bathroom at Staples Center during a game between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers on Oct 31, 2018.
The woman said that "she was forced into a bathroom" by Puig, who then "grabbed at her trying to take her clothes off, touched her sexual organs during this struggle, and eventually pinned her with one arm and used his other to stroke his own penis, exposing himself, and eventually ejaculating."
Puig is being sued for sexual battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and false imprisonment.
The woman's attorney, Taylor Rayfield, issued a statement to TMZ: "The defendant is a professional athlete who used his celebrity status to intimidate and sexually assault a stranger. His brazen attack has caused emotional and psychological injuries to our client which have severely impacted her life."
MLB.com's Mark Feinsand reported in July that Puig was going to sign with the Atlanta Braves. The deal fell apart after Puig announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
Puig spent the first six years of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers before being traded to the Cincinnati Reds in December 2018. The 29-year-old split time between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians during the 2019 season.