High-profile sports agent Jonathan Barnett has been accused of raping a woman over 39 times in a lawsuit filed in the United States.
In a civil complaint submitted to a district court in Los Angeles, the woman, identified as “Jane Doe,” alleges that Barnett “trafficked” her from Australia to the UK in 2017, subjected her to “torture,” and kept her as a “sex slave” for six years.
She claims that Barnett made “repeated threats” against her life and the lives of her minor children.
The 75-year-old Barnett, known for representing prominent football players like Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish, has denied the allegations, stating that they are “untrue” and “have no basis in reality.”
His legal team expressed their intent to vigorously contest the lawsuit, asserting that they look forward to Barnett’s complete vindication.
Barnett was recognized as the world’s most powerful sports agent by Forbes magazine in 2019.
According to court documents from the civil case filed on Wednesday, Barnett and the woman first met in the 1990s through a professional athlete in London and reconnected online before meeting in person in 2017.
Shortly after, she moved to the UK with her teenage children, with Barnett’s agency, CAA Stellar, covering her relocation costs.
The complaint alleges that upon her arrival, Barnett claimed he “owned” her and raped her in a hotel room.
He reportedly imposed strict rules, demanding she refer to him as “My Master” and forbidding her from saying it hurt, as stated in the lawsuit.
The complaint details degrading acts, including forcing her to drink urine and ingest feces, as well as instances of being “tied up overnight without food or water.”
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She claims she was “trafficked, threatened, tortured, and held” in various locations worldwide, including Los Angeles, from 2017 to 2023.
The lawsuit states that realizing she was powerless against a “dangerous predator,” Jane Doe submitted to Barnett to avoid severe beatings or death.
In addition to Barnett, she is suing the Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency and CAA Stellar, where Barnett served as executive chairman until his retirement last year.
The court documents allege that CAA Stellar’s parent companies, ICM and CAA, “failed to find and/or willfully or recklessly disregarded” substantial payments made between 2017 and 2023, despite the woman not being an athlete or agent.
It is claimed that Barnett referred to her as “slave” in emails sent from his work account.
The court filings indicate that Barnett used his “money and power to maintain coercive control” over the woman, who lived in fear for her life and the safety of her children.
Jane Doe’s lawyers assert that the case involves “institutional abuse at the highest level” and are seeking compensation on her behalf.
According to the LA Times, CAA stated that it first became aware of the allegations recently.