Hours after allegations that Neymar raped a Brazilian woman in Paris came to light, the soccer superstar posted a video on social media in which he denied the accusations and claimed that the woman had tried to extort him.
In the video, Neymar admits to having sex with his accuser, but claims that both parties consented to everything that happened. Here’s an excerpt of Neymar’s recorded statement, as translated from Portuguese by the BBC:
“I’m very upset but from now on I’ll expose or tell all about what happened with that girl. It was an intimate thing but I have to open myself up to prove that nothing exceptional happened.
“What happened that day was a relationship between a man and a woman, within four walls, like with any couple. And the next day nothing much happened. We kept exchanging messages. She asked me for a souvenir for [her child].”
The first half of the video shows Neymar professing his innocence in the matter, claiming to have fallen for an extortionate “trap” set by his accuser. After that, the video switches to a screengrab of a series of WhatsApp messages Neymar says were sent between him and the woman. The messages shown in the video begin in early March and cut off on March 16, the day after the alleged assault took place.
The video of the WhatsApp conversation depicts several photos and videos the woman allegedly sent Neymar showing her in various states of undress. In the video, the images of the woman have been lightly censored with a blur effect to conceal the most intimate areas of her body.
In an interview on Brazilian TV before the posting of the video, Neymar’s father, Neymar Santos Sr., explained why he and his son believed it was necessary to confront the case so publicly. “This is a tough moment,” Neymar Sr. said, per Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte. “If we can’t show the truth quickly it will be a snowball.”
Neymar’s father also explained the extortion allegation in the interview: Neymar Sr. said that after the woman had returned to Brazil from Paris upon learning that Neymar did not want to continue a relationship with her, a lawyer who claimed to represent the woman contacted Neymar’s representatives and threatened that the woman would go to police with a charge of rape against Neymar if he did not agree to pay her some sum of money.
According to the New York Times, Sao Paolo police have confirmed that a report has been filed against Neymar.
[BBC | Globo Esporte | New York Times]