Why is Dak Prescott suing Victoria Baleigh Shores? Cowboys QB's $100,000,000 lawsuit explained
Dak Prescott is suing Victoria Baleigh Shores for accusing him of an alleged sexual assault incident that occurred in 2017. The Dallas Cowboys quarterback and his legal team have denied the allegations, saying that Shores is trying to extort money for her false claims.
As Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken tweeted:
“Cowboys QB Dak Prescott filed a lawsuit today in Collin County, accusing a woman of making a false sexual-assault allegation in attempt to extort $100 million from him, his lawyer announced. According to the lawsuit, the incident is alleged to have occurred in early 2017.”
Meanwhile, here’s a statement from Prescott’s lawyer, Levi McCarthern:
“Mr. Prescott — a new father to a baby girl — has great empathy for survivors of sexual assault. He fervently believes that all perpetrators of such crimes should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
“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.”
In a March 11 report by Dallas Morning News Calvin Watkins, Prescott is seeking "monetary relief in excess of $1 million," which he will donate to the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization that supports sexual assault victims.
Shores claimed Dak Prescott took advantage of her
According to a March 12 article by DailyMail’s Alex Raskin, Shores shared that the alleged incident involving Dak Prescott occurred at the back of an SUV in Plano, Texas, in 2017 after the quarterback's rookie season.
Meanwhile, according to a March 12 article by Yahoo Sports' Jason Owens, Shores' attorneys, Bethel and Yoel Zehaie, sent the letter regarding the incident to Mississippi State, Prescott's alma mater, on January 16. The school then forwarded the correspondence to the quarterback's lawyers.
Watkins shared these details from the letter sent by the Zehaies to Prescott:
"She has suffered mental anguish that is unimaginable dealing with the trauma of being a sexual assault of victim. 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.”
In connection with that detail, Raskin revealed from the letter:
"Ms. Shores' damages are valued at the sum of $100,000,000. You have until February 16, 2024, to respond to this demand letter."
Limited responses from Dak Prescott's camp
Raskin added that while Prescott did not deny having intercourse with the accuser, he explained in his filing that he was single at that time and that the woman’s behavior was “consistent with being involved with only consensual actions with Mr. Prescott.”
Prescott’s filing also states that he didn’t hear anything negative about their interaction from nearly a decade ago, which tells of the defendants’ motives.
Meanwhile, Watkins reported that Dak Prescott's attorney did not return their call seeking comment. However, McCathern said in a prepared statement:
"Mr. Prescott has reported Defendants’ criminal actions to the appropriate authorities and will continue to cooperate fully in their investigation. Further, Mr. Prescott is forced to file the instant case to bring the truth to light, defend his new family, and promote our society’s collective progress in support of legitimate survivors of sexual assault.”
The Cowboys also declined to comment on the issue, while Prescott has not addressed the matter beyond the filing and his attorney's statement.