"With hatred, ill will, and spite" - LA Dodgers All-Star pitcher takes the Athletic to court
LA Dodgers All-Star pitcher Trevor Bauer is back in the news. This time, his name was attached to a slew of rather foul accusations.
Trevor Bauer, a 31-year-old pitcher for the LA Dodgers and former Cy Young Award winner, is suing Molly Knight, a reporter for "The Athletic" magazine. Bauer claims that Molly Knight is peddling false accusations and attempting to ruin his reputation. This comes after several instances of Bauer coming under off-the-field scrutiny for his unwavering support of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Some of his supporters say that he has become the target of the media because of this support.
Trevor Bauer of the LA Dodgers and the sexual assault case
The saga began in June 2021 when a woman from Southern California accused Bauer of assault. After gaining a temporary restraining order, charges against Bauer were dropped, and his innocence was ostensibly maintained.
Bauer and his legal team have stipulated that although an encounter of a sexual kind did indeed take place between Mr. Bauer and the woman in question, the acts were consensual, and no lasting physical damage was ever done to the woman.
In March 2022, "The Athletic" published an article that claimed that the woman in question had suffered a fractured skull as a result of Bauer's violent advances.
Today I filed a defamation lawsuit against The Athletic and its former MLB reporter Molly Knight in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles for knowingly publishing false information. You can read the complaint here: zuckerman.com/sites/default/…
"Today I filed a defamation lawsuit against The Athletic and its former MLB reporter Molly Knight in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles for knowingly publishing false information. You can read the complaint here:" - @ Trevor Bauer
Bauer, who has been on paid leave from professional baseball since the investigation began, has claimed that Knight and her editorial team at "The Athletic" knew that these claims were false but still decided to publish them anyway.
Trevor Bauer's legal team maintains that this matter has been looked at through due process throughout the 2021 court proceedings and to inject a new, unsubstantiated dimension is wrong and will only serve to damage Bauer's respectability and popularity.
There have been dissenting opinions, who say that Molly Knight acted diligently as a journalist and was only ever trying to find out the truth of the matter.
Holy crap, Trevor Bauer sued @TheAthletic & @molly_knight. Trying very hard to silence critical reporting and commentary. latimes.com/sports/dodgers…
"Holy crap, Trevor Bauer sued @TheAthletic and @molly_knight. Trying very hard to silence critical reporting and commentary." - @ Sammy Roth
For the LA Dodgers star, the MLB has extended his leave, which was due to expire on April 16. It now seems as though the ace pitching star could be known and remembered for what happened and what was said and done off the field, rather than on the field.