Former Dallas Cowboy Michael Irvin is in trouble, again, this time a woman is accusing him of raping her back in 2007.
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...
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.''
Although I'm trying to withhold judgement, this whole case seems a little hinky. This happened in 2007? Nearly three years ago? Why sue now? Oh, I see she remembered the attack after Irvin popped his head out of obsurity by appearing on a reality TV show. She's negotiated a price, coming down to only 800 grand? Seems like a "pay me or I'll do the media rounds" scheme to me.
I'm not going to editoralize too much on how a woman should behave after being raped, since I have no idea how one should behave. But from the standpoint of a casual observer, she seems to be behaving more like a grifter than a victim. I'm just sayin'.
Anytrick, I don't feel a bit sorry for Irvin. When will these pro atheletes learn to stay away from those sideline groupies? How many of them have to be accused of rape, random babies, and sometimes killed before they learn? Irvin should just pay up, and consider it stupid tax. Maybe Kobe can whisper in his ear and tell him what's in store for him.
