Lawsuit: Oscar De La Hoya accused of sexually assaulting woman twice in 2020
Former boxing great Oscar De La Hoya is accused of two instances of sexual assault in a civil suit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court by a tequila company executive.
The woman alleges that during a trip to Mexico in March 2020 to visit the Casa Mexico Tequila distillery, De La Hoya banged on her hotel room door “with his pants dropped down to his ankles, then pushed his way into the room, and got into her bed,†according to the lawsuit. “She pushed him from the bed and walked him to his room, opened his door, and immediately returned to her own room.â€
The next morning De La Hoya wasn’t present when the Casa Mexico group assembled to tour the distillery, and the woman went to his room to wake him. She alleges in the lawsuit that De La Hoya “pulled [her] into his bed, where he sexually assaulted her.â€
Done with repressing memories of a childhood sexual assault, Oscar De La Hoya is ready to fight Vitor Belfort and out for a win for himself.
De La Hoya, who is a partner in the company, assaulted her again when the group returned to Los Angeles, the woman alleges. A group of Casa Mexico executives that included De La Hoya and the woman dined at a restaurant, then went to De La Hoya’s house.
“At some point, when De La Hoya was alone with [the woman], he revealed and retrieved a sexual object from a stored collection in his house. Without [her] consent, De La Hoya forcibly inserted the sexual object into [her] body,†the lawsuit states.
The Times does not publish the names of victims of alleged sexual assaults.
De La Hoya released a statement Wednesday denying the allegations: “With the 24-hour news cycle we all find ourselves in, more often than not, malicious and unjust accusations are interpreted as truth without the evidence to support their erroneous claims. I am confident my legal team will resolve this matter and prove my innocence.â€
The allegations against De La Hoya are one of 10 causes of action presented in the civil suit against Casa Mexico. In addition to sexual assault, she alleges sexual harassment, retaliation, gender discrimination and wrongful termination.
“Officers and partners of Casa Mexico, almost exclusively men, and including Michael A. Gooch, Robert Crossan and Oscar de la Hoya created a work environment which resulted in a tragic, humiliating, physically and emotionally damaging experience, both personally and professionally,†the lawsuit states.
Said the woman’s attorney, Sylvia Torres-Guillén of Andrade Gonzalez LLP: “[She] has been severely impacted and has filed a lawsuit to hold [De La Hoya] accountable and those perpetuating toxic masculinity and a hostile work environment where her abuse was not just tolerated, but encouraged and condoned by Casa Mexico’s executives, Michael Gooch and Robert Crossan. As a survivor of this abuse, she wants others to know this behavior is unacceptable — and it doesn’t matter who you are. We will seek justice on her behalf.â€
De La Hoya, 49, is a boxing promoter and businessman who retired from the ring in 2008 after winning 11 world titles in six weight classes. He grew up in East L.A. and attended Garfield High School. He was married to Puerto Rican singer-actress Millie Corretjer from 2001 to 2018, and holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico.
De La Hoya was accused of sexual assault in 1998 and reached an out-of-court settlement with an 18-year-old woman who had filed a civil suit. The suit asked for $10 million in damages. The woman in that case charged that De La Hoya had raped and imprisoned her 2½ years earlier in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Mexican authorities investigated but no criminal charges were filed.
Super-welterweight boxing champion Oscar De La Hoya has reached an out-of-court settlement with Nicole Rao, who in a civil suit had accused De La Hoya of sexually assaulting her, attorneys said Monday.
Last fall, De La Hoya disclosed to Times columnist Dylan Hernández that he was raped by a woman when he was 13. He stated that the woman was over 35. He said he was at a boxing tournament in Hawaii, saying, “Thirteen, lost my virginity over being, you know, being raped, basically.â€
In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, the woman says that she reported the second assault to Casa Mexico founder Don Buccio but that the company took no action.
According to the lawsuit, the woman, “recognizing her relatively new status with the company, De La Hoya’s status both within the company and internationally, and the vast disparity in power and influence between herself and De La Hoya, reasonably feared retribution from the company. At minimum, [she] recognized that this incident presented a conflict within the company’s members and board, placed her in a negative light, and consequently caused continuing harm to her personal and professional reputation.â€
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