Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, winner of Super Bowls XL and XLIII, is 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, Nev., on Friday. Andrea McNulty is listed as the plaintiff.
Details of the suit were not available late Monday. Ben Roethlisberger was one of nine defendants listed in the online court docket report.
Sources say McNulty claims Roethlisberger asked her to come to his hotel room in July, 2008 – and then forced her to have sex with him.
An employee at Harrah’s Hotel in Reno, McNulty is suing for sexual assault and battery, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress.
The football star’s attorney released a statement to several media outlets confirming that Ben is accused of sexual assault by Andrea McNulty.
David Cornwell denied Ben sexually assaulted anyone, and said he was confident this would be proven, with the following statement:
“This weekend Andrea McNulty served Ben Roethlisberger with a civil complaint accusing him of sexually assaulting her in July 2008. Ben Roethlisberger has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty.”
“The timing of the suit and the absence of a criminal complaint and investigation are compelling evidence of the absence of criminal conduct. If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated.”