Cristiano Ronaldo: from a Hero to Disappointment

By Christopher Cardenas

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous and beloved athletes in the world. Throughout his professional career, he has amassed riches and fame and has inspired millions of young soccer players all over the world. He has lifetime sponsorship with Nike and has an unprecedented 323.4 million followers on social media. So, when the rape charges made by Kathryn Mayorga came out on a September 29, 2018, the whole world was in disbelief.

It all started on one normal night. Ronaldo met an inspiring model named Kathryn. The two were seen on video dancing with each other and having a good time. The party continued at Ronaldo's penthouse and, in her 9000+ interview with Spiegel, she convincingly describes the details of what happened.

She claims Ronaldo was very persistent in getting what he wanted, which was her. She claims that he raped her on this night. Describing the moments afterward, she recites, "After he assaulted me, he wouldn't let me leave again. He wouldn't let me leave. And he was calling me 'baby, baby.' He gave me this look, this guilty look. Almost like he felt bad. I don't remember but I'm pretty sure he said 'sorry' or 'Are you hurt?' And by this time, he's on his knees. Then, he says the 99 percent thing."

Ronaldo insisted, she says, that he was "a good guy" except for the "one percent." She recalled that as being the moment when she first understood what had happened to her. "It happened so quickly. I didn't really know what happened. I felt like I was actually floating. It felt like I wasn't there. It was out-of-body. I really can't describe it in words." Kathryn left Ronaldo with a fake smile and a joyful attitude until she got into her car and was alone for the first time since the incident. With a burning pain in her heart, she decided to call a friend, who advised her to call the police anonymously.

Kathryn proceeded to call the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The officer that spoke to Kathryn said she was deeply upset and had stated that she had been raped. Although she had been brought to a medical center and interviewed extensively, she would not state the name of her rapist. Instead she called him a public figure and an athlete. The results from the rape kit confirmed that Kathryn had, in fact, been raped. Her injuries were photographed, she was given medicine, and then released

After this whole ordeal, Mayorga wanted justice, yet she did not want to release Ronaldo name or hers. Kathryn and her attorney both agreed that they should settle the case out of court, and this is what they did. Ronaldo's lawyers and Kathryn settled for Ronaldo to pay Kathryn 375,000 dollars along with legal expenses, in return for Kathryn's silence.

However, Ronaldo is telling different story about what occurred on that day. When Kathryn first broke the agreement on that fateful September day, he responded a couple days later on Instagram live. He said, while reading comments about the allegations that it is "fake news" and these people just want to tarnish his reputation. He says in a tweet published on October 3rd, "I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse to feed the media spectacle created by people seeking to promote themselves at my expense." His lawyers recently came out with a statement explaining, among other things that, "What happened in 2009 in Las Vegas was completely consensual." But with all these refutations, to a certain extent, Ronaldo's reputation was up for debate. For instance, when these allegations came out, Nike, Ronaldo's biggest sponsor have said they were deeply concerned and Juventus, Ronaldo's new team, stocks have also recently dropped in price.

The world will have to wait to see what's next for Ronaldo and Kathryn. Kathryn and her team are suing Ronaldo for rape and for manipulating her into silence. Both sides are ready for a long court battle. Only time will tell what is in store for Ronaldo and Kathryn. One thing is for certain, justice must be served.

figure” and an “athlete”. The results from the rape kit confirmed that Kathryn had, in fact, been raped. Her injuries were photographed, she was given medicine, and then released

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous and beloved athletes in the world. Throughout his professional career, he has amassed riches and fame and has inspired millions of young soccer players all over the world. The dedication he has put into his sport, winning five Ballond’ors, five UEFA Champions league and countless other trophies, it is so inspiring that his impact is felt all over the world. He has lifetime sponsorship with Nike and has an unprecedented 323.4 million followers on social media. So, when the rape charges made by Kathryn Mayorga came out on a September 29, 2018, the whole world was in disbelief.

 It all started on one normal night. Ronaldo met an inspiring model named Kathryn. The two were seen on video dancing with each other and having a good time. The party continued at Ronaldo’s penthouse and, in her 9000+ interview with Spiegel, she convincingly describes the details of what happened.

She says that Ronaldo was very persistent in getting what he wanted, which was her. She claims that he raped her on this night. Describing the moments afterward, she recites, "After he assaulted me, he wouldn't let me leave again. He wouldn't let me leave. And he was calling me 'baby, baby.' He gave me this look, this guilty look. Almost like he felt bad. I don't remember but I'm pretty sure he said 'sorry' or 'Are you hurt?' And by this time, he's on his knees. Then, he says the 99 percent thing."

Ronaldo insisted, she says, that he was "a good guy" except for the "one percent.” She recalled that as being the moment when she first understood what had happened to her. “It happened so quickly. I didn't really know what happened. I felt like I was actually floating. It felt like I wasn't there. It was out-of-body. I really can't describe it in words." Kathryn left Ronaldo with a fake smile and a joyful attitude until she got into her car and was alone for the first time since the incident. With a burning pain in her heart, she decided to call a friend, who advised her to call the police anonymously.