Andrea McNulty Accuses Ben Roethlisberger Of Sexual Assault

(AP) RENO, Nev. - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by a woman in Nevada.

According to online court records, a defamation lawsuit was filed in Washoe County on Friday. Andrea McNulty is listed as the plaintiff.

Details of the suit were not available late Monday night. Roethlisberger was one of nine defendants listed in the online court docket report.

Roethlisberger's attorney released a statement to several media outlets Monday night saying the two-time Super Bowl winner was accused of sexual assault in the lawsuit by McNulty. Atlanta-based attorney David Cornwell denied Roethlisberger sexually assaulted McNulty.

"This weekend Andrea McNulty served Ben Roethlisberger with a civil complaint accusing him of sexually assaulting her in July 2008. Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty. The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct. If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated," Cornwell said.

A phone message and e-mail from the AP to Cornwell were not immediately returned.

Attorney Calvin R. Dunlap, of Reno, filed the suit, according to court documents. A telephone message left for him was not immediately returned.

Comments

[Altoids]

Amazing how many judges and juries have popped up in this comments section to acquit Roethlisberger. Football fans, most likely. Does the woman not get her day in court? So many people are citing the fact that she waited a year and did not file criminal charges as PROOF that she's lying. There are plenty of reasons she might have done so. I imagine that if I was raped, I would be quite scared and not eager to let the whole world know about it. Also, if I knew the man who raped me was friends with my boss, I just might be afraid of being fired. Is that not a good enough reason for you people who have already settled the lawsuit in your minds to entertain the possibility she might be telling the truth?

Also, if she's at the point where it's a year after the rape occurred, and she was too scared during that year to file criminal charges (but has finally come to grips and decided to pursue the case), she must decide what are her best chances of getting some sort of justice. If you people knew anything about typical rape cases, you would know that in the absence of DNA evidence obtained no later than 48 hours or so after the rape, the chances of obtaining a conviction are significantly reduced.

Amazing how people think they can judge a case from the outside with nothing but hunches and their own bias.

[ggail23]

I have been the victim of assault and because of this I know countless women who have been victims. This type of behavior is not typical of someone who has experienced sexual assault.

I don't have to imagine if I was raped to say what I may or may have not done. I was raped and I would not have waited a year. Ever. I would not have been afraid of losing my job, because if this had really happened I would not have wanted to keep this job.

I agree, I do not truly know if this happened. But everything about it seems suspect. Most women want justice, not apaycheck. I personally would feel more like a whore if I accepted cash for this horrific act. The sad thing is, it does horrible damage to the women who actually are assaulted

[Altoids]

Sorry to hear that you have been a victim of assault - but your story does not automatically prove that McNulty would have acted in the same way as you did.

The statistics and research are out there.

[Malkin71]

By waiting until there is no chance of producing evidence, she has also hurt his ability to defend himself.

He might not have even had sex with her...but by waiting she has reduced this case to he said/she said.

Also, I am a football fan. I am a Steelers fan. I have met Ben. Full disclosure.

Having said that, I'd defend Mikhail Baryshnikov or Emerill Legace if these same suspicious circumstances surrounded an accusation about them.

While we have to be understanding of a victim's trauma, their waiting infringes on the rights of the accused and puts other women at risk.

[Altoids]

By waiting, she has hurt herself more than she has hurt him. Since the burden is on her (or the prosecutor, if it were a criminal case) to prove that she was raped, all Roethlisberger needs to do is defend himself against any evidence she produces. It is widely understood among people who are knowledgeable about rape cases that the victim has to come forward immediately if he/she wants to have a good chance of bringing the rapist to justice. It is also common knowledge that the majority of rapes go unreported because of the fear and trauma the victim experiences. Thus, it is not hard to believe that this victim would have waited so long.

In essence, your argument is that since other people have brought frivolous rape claims against other celebrities for the purpose of getting paid in the past, that must be what is happening here. You say this without the scantest of knowledge about the case.

[Malkin71]

You should not be allowed to file a civil suit for sexual assault unless you have filed a criminal complaint.

Period.

[JCali]

I agree. I can't understand the thinking of someone who is "violated" and wants money, rather than having the accused sent to jail.

[dspencer3491]

I highly doubt this.

[thundermummy]

I just read on the MSN page that she claims Harrah's Casino employees broke into her home and erased her computer. Uh huh.

[JCali]

sounds like an episode of L&O SVU.

[dteg]

Sounds like ESPN is going to protect this QB. They are not reporting these AP news stories that are coming over the wire. It is the old different strokes for different folks. If it was one of the black QB's in the league they would be reporting 24/7 in the news.

[Malkin71]

Uhhhhhhhhhhgggg....

This is, by far, the most baseless case to come out against a celebrity athlete in years.

BUT, you want them to trash Ben to prove some racial point to you?

Vick was found guilty, you realize? The evidence was overwhelming and Vick's associates turned on him immediately.

At what point do you go from racial watchdog to just plain racist?

[sarimn00]

I agree. If the police would have charged him with anything, this would have been all over the news. I'm sick of people turning this into a race issue.

[lagumbo]

No media press with this, it won't go 27/7, but if was kobe bryant, micheal vick, labron james, or any other black athlete it would be a media blitz. The racial bias in this country is so prevelant it is sicking.

[rollermonkey]

Absolutely no chance this is true. Aside from the details of the ludicrous complaint itself, sorry but I've seen her picture, Ben has much better looking women throwing themselves at him nightly.

[Malkin71]

Where can one see the picture?

[BikeFreak]

What's the matter with you?

Sexual assault has nothing to do with how a woman looks.

I am not saying he is guilty of this charge. I am saying your assertion that this woman wasn't assaulted due in part, to her looks, is just asinine.

[Malkin71]

Nothing?

So, what kind of car has NOTHING to do with whether it is stolen?

The size of the ring on your finger has nothing to do with whether you get mugged?

[provgrays]

Another reason to hate the Steelers.

[hippietilidie]

Haters, haters, haters...

[provgrays]

You guys hate my Patriots.
Right back atcha.

[Kristen777]

nice reach . . . . its so easy to hate the winners - 6 BIG ONES BABY!!

[jamie461]

This is pure BS. No criminal complaint, no evidence, no NOTHING. Except that he signed a $100 million+ contract and she wants a big slice of it.

It's really sickening that someone can trash a person's reputation like this with NO PROOF of their claims.

[provgrays]

Jamie,

Where you there? The woman might have a case.

[Tark2323]

Where you there?

And would you still saying she might have a case if Tom Brady had been the one accused?

Of course you wouldn't.

[AntiSheep13]

All of you Vick bandwagoners have expressed as much logic as that nutty chick who has an attorney taking advantage of her mental issues. Just so you know; this accuser was in love with a fictitious soldier. When she found out that this internet guy was actually a woman, she told people that her great love had died in combat in Iraq. That is why she had her mental breakdown and had to get help. Now this filthy attorney is taking advantage of Andrea.

[firstrax]

This little jewel is a few fries shy of a happy meal. If she had filed charges a year ago she might have been able to settle for a payday. No way will she get one red cent for this scam.

[BigAl72]

You're absolutely right.

[GoodFeathers]

""Ben will not be baited into a public discussion about his personal life, but we will defend him vigorously. The limited value that [the plaintiff] derived from public disclosure of these viciously false allegations is the only value she will ever receive from Ben in this case," the statement said.

Here is an another quote from Ben's attorney. Either Ben's attorney is implying that the QB did it or he needs to remove himself from the case because his comments aren't helping Ben.

[BruntLIVE]

I think this is Karma (Vick Karma) for commish Roger, how will he handing these two? Very interesting.

[jamie461]

Excuse me, but Vick was convicted on federal charges. This is a civil allegation with NO evidence that it has any factual basis.

Apples vs. oranges

[AmericanWarrior]

Lets see if he acts "holier than thou" with this one.

[pittmom]

yep, I'm a Steeler fan and Ben's been good for the team, but he needs some lessons in humility.

There's a lot of chatter in the community that he's arrogant and has issues with entitlement (for example when he couldn't get a tee time at his favorite golf course because they had an event, he went to another course and was incensed that he actually had to pay to play?!). Even if there's a grain of truth to this story maybe he'll realize that everyone has to play by the rules of decency and he'll wake up and be a better man.

[BruntLIVE]

This is going to be interesting how ESPN, Fox Sports, Jim Rome, etc... views this. Make no mistake, they will take a "wait and see" from the outset, that is a racially natural reaction when the person has the same skin color (ingrained in america, face it). But will ESPN do 24/7 coverage? Details? We shall see.

[Malkin71]

So unless they grill this white guy, Ben Roethlisberger--who from the odd timing of the civil suit, the lack of a criminal complaint, and the extraordinary things claimed in her statement--appears to be

[shuuuuz]

As of 9:55PM ESPN.COM isn't even mentioning the charges, let alone coverage.

[GoodFeathers]

"Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty."

Is Ben's attorney saying he assaulted other women but not McNulty? If his attorney can't tell the story straight, Ben should get rid of him immediately.

[Jared Dorman]

No he is saying that he never assaulted anyone but just said it like that so he an seem more clever than he really is.