High-profile football agent Barnett accused of rape in US lawsuit

High-profile British sports supplier Jonathan Barnett has been accused of raping a female much than 39 times, successful a US lawsuit.

In a civilian title lodged astatine a US territory tribunal successful Los Angeles, nan unnamed woman, referred to arsenic "Jane Doe", says Mr Barnett "trafficked" her from Australia to nan UK successful 2017, "tortured" and kept her arsenic a "sex slave" complete a six twelvemonth period.

She says Mr Barnett made "repeated threats to her life and nan lives of her insignificant children".

The 75-year-old known for representing starring footballers including Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish, says nan charges "have nary ground successful reality and are untrue".

"We will vigorously take sides this suit done nan due ineligible process. I americium looking guardant to being wholly vindicated and exonerated," a connection from his lawyers said.

Mr Barnett was classed arsenic nan world's astir powerful sports supplier successful 2019 by Forbes magazine.

He co-founded London-based sports agency Stellar Group successful 1994, yet trading it to Hollywood talent agency ICM Partners successful 2020. ICM was later bought by larger rival CAA successful a woody that merged 2 of nan world's biggest agencies.

The civilian lawsuit against Mr Barnett, revenge connected Wednesday, uses nan sanction CAA Stellar passim to mention to his sports agency.

According to tribunal documents, nan brace first met successful nan 1990s done a master jock successful London and reconnected online and past successful personification successful 2017.

Within a matter of weeks she relocated to nan UK pinch her teenage children - pinch sports agency CAA Stellar, headed by Mr Barnett, covering moving expenses.

The filing says that upon her arrival, he told her he "owned" her and raped her successful a edifice room.

Mr Barnett went connected to enforce strict rules to obey him astatine each times, referring to him arsenic "My Master" and to "never opportunity it hurts", according to nan lawsuit.

The title goes connected to picture alleged degrading acts that included drinking urine aliases ingesting faeces.

The alleged torture besides included nan female "tied up overnight without nutrient aliases water".

She says she was "trafficked, threatened, tortured, and held" successful bondage successful different locations passim nan world, including Los Angeles, from 2017 to 2023.

"Realising she was powerless against a vulnerable predator, Ms Doe submitted to Barnett successful bid to debar being severely beaten aliases moreover killed," nan suit said.

"Jane Doe" is besides suing Hollywood talent patient Creative Artists Agency and sports agency CAA Stellar, wherever Mr Barnett was executive president until his status past year.

The tribunal documents authorities nan CAA Stellar's genitor companies, talent agencies ICM and CAA, "failed to find and/or willfully aliases recklessly disregarded" that important payments were made betwixt 2017 and 2023, contempt nan female not being an jock aliases agent.

It is claimed Barnett referred to her arsenic "slave" successful emails sent from his activity account.

Court documents opportunity Mr Barnett utilized his "money and powerfulness to support coercive control" complete nan female who was "in fearfulness of her life and nan lives of her children".

Lawyers for "Jane Doe" authorities nan lawsuit is astir "institutional maltreatment astatine nan highest level".

They are seeking compensation connected her behalf.

According to LA Times, CAA said it first heard of nan woman's allegations past twelvemonth erstwhile her lawyers made colony demands - and nan property inquired.

"While nan title attempts to link these allegations to CAA's business, Ms Doe has ne'er been an employee, consultant, aliases contractor of CAA, ICM, aliases Stellar, nor has she ever had immoderate business relationship to CAA, ICM, aliases Stellar," CAA said successful its statement.

"CAA takes immoderate allegations of this quality seriously, and done counsel, promptly urged Ms Doe to interaction rule enforcement successful nan United Kingdom."