LOS ANGELES – Oakland Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley has filed a lawsuit against the woman who accused him of raping her in 2017, according to a report from TMZ Sports on Thursday.
Conley’s suit states the woman is liable for “malicious criminal prosecution” after her allegations damaged his reputation, hurt his draft stock and cost him an endorsement deal with Nike, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
No charges were filed against Conley after the allegation was brought before a grand jury in July 2017.
The woman accused Conley of rape shortly before the 2017 NFL Draft, when he was selected No. 24 overall out of Ohio State by the Raiders in the first round. Conley vehemently denied the allegations when they first surfaced.
Conley released a statement after the grand jury’s ruling, “The past few months have been extremely trying for me and my family. Although I was the target of malicious and false accusations, I do realize, however, that I could’ve exercised better judgment and that there are still lessons for me to take away and grow from.”
Conley, 23, played two games in his rookie season with the Raiders, missing the majority of the season with a shin injury that eventually required surgery.
