Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Suing Woman Over Alleged $100 Million Extortion Scheme
The lawsuit stems from the woman's accusation of a sexual assault incident in 2017 against the NFL star
Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott has filed a lawsuit against a woman whom the NFL star claims is falsely accusing him of sexual assault.
Prescott, 30, filed the complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, in Collins County, Texas, on Monday. The filing includes a letter from his alleged accuser's attorneys, Bethel T. Zehaie and Yoel T. Zehaie, who are seeking $100 million in exchange for not pressing criminal charges regarding an alleged incident in 2017.
The letter from the alleged accuser was sent on Jan. 16 to an email address at Prescott's alma mater, Mississippi State, before it was sent to the athlete's lawyers. The woman claimed Prescott sexually assaulted her in the backseat of his car during an encounter in Plano, Texas.
The letter claimed that the woman "has had to live with this pain and trauma for seven years" and that the alleged assault "affected her relationship with her fiancé" as well as her everyday existence" so significantly that she requires "future therapy and counseling" as a result.
An excerpt from the letter read, "Despite the tragic events, she is willing to forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered."
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Additionally, the letter issued an expiring time for the proposed tradeoff, concluding with, "You have until February 16, 2024, to respond to this demand letter."
Prescott's attorney, Levi G. McCathern, has denied that a sexual assault occurred at all, and in Monday's lawsuit accuses the unnamed woman of attempting to tarnish the NFL star's reputation, in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
Prescott's lawsuit includes accusations of defamation, slander, civil extortion, business disparagement, intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil conspiracy against the woman.
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Prescott is seeking $1 million in monetary relief from the woman, which he has committed to donating to the Joyful Heart Foundation, which benefits victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.
"Mr. Prescott — a new father to a baby girl — has great empathy for survivors of sexual assault," Prescott's lawyer said in the statement. "He fervently believes that all perpetrators of such crimes should be punished to the fullest extent of the law."
The statement continued, "To be clear, Mr. Prescott has never engaged in any nonconsensual, sexual conduct with anyone. Lies hurt. Especially, malicious lies. We will not allow the Defendant and her legal team to profit from this attempt to extort millions from Mr. Prescott."
The statement from McCathern also said Prescott will continue to fully cooperate with authorities.
PEOPLE has reached out to representatives for Prescott for comment.
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Read the original article on People.