Jarryd Hayne has reportedly settled a US civil law suit with a woman who accused him of raping her in 2015 during Hayne’s short-lived and ultimately fruitless stint in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers.
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The case had originally been scheduled to go to trial in January, however the accusers’ legal team flagged the possibility of an out-of-court settlement in May, sparking months of negotiations between the two sides.
In court documents filed for the case, the complainant – an American woman identified only as “JV” – alleged that herself and Hayne were travelling in an Uber together in San Jose (the city adjacent to where the 49ers stadium and training base are located). Upon arriving at Hayne’s apartment the woman alleges that Hayne sexually assaulted her, which resulted in injuries including vaginal bleeding. She claimed she was a virgin and was heavily intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Police investigators declined to file criminal charges against Hayne after looking into the incident, citing insufficient evidence. Subsequently, the unidentified woman filed a civil suit (which requires a lower burden of proof) in December 2017, seeking damages for emotional distress and sexual battery.
Reports from the Sydney Morning Herald state that JV’s lawyers confirmed the case had been settled, but no further comment was issued. There are no details on the nature of the settlement, nor any possibly monetary compensation, at this time.
Hayne’s NFL career lasted just over one year, from March 2015 until May 2016, which he ended in a last-minute and ultimately failed bid to represent the Fiji Rugby 7s side at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
He is currently the subject of a separate sexual assault case after being arrested in December last year. That case alleges that Hayne assaulted a 26-year-old woman in Newcastle in September 2018. Hayne was charged with aggravated sexual assault. He entered a formal not guilty plea in July.
Currently, Hayne is reportedly in Perth undergoing “disciple training” with an evangelical Christian youth organisation.
