Oscar De La Hoya accused of sexual assault in California lawsuit
The former boxing world champion Oscar De La Hoya has been accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in California earlier this month.
According to court documents, which were obtained by ESPN this week, the plaintiff is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages. The woman, who was 29 at the time of the alleged assault in 2017, accuses De La Hoya, who is now a promoter, of sexual assault, sexual battery, gender violence, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
She said she was in a consensual relationship with De La Hoya at the time of the alleged assault but refused a sexual act in November 2017. According to the lawsuit De La Hoya, then “overpowered her” and sexually assaulted her. The lawsuit alleges that the woman felt “extreme swelling and pain” and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“To date, Plaintiff continues to suffer from extreme distress, humiliation, indignation and outrage as a result of De La Hoya’s conduct,” the lawsuit says. “As a result of said distress, Plaintiff has suffered and continues to suffer constant and daily symptoms of depression, anxiety, and related symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder.”
De La Hoya’s spokesman denied the allegations in a statement released to ESPN on Tuesday. “A frivolous lawsuit was filed recently alleging that Oscar De La Hoya sexually assaulted ‘Jane Doe,’ which is completely false,” it said. “Oscar is a very successful businessman, running one of the country’s leading sports and entertainment companies – thus a prime target.”
The 46-year-old De La Hoya is CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, a company which has helped manage boxing world champions such as Canelo Álvarez and Amir Khan. During his fighting career he held world titles in six different weight classes.
