Oscar De La Hoya feels new pressures, but it’s not from a fighter’s in-ring advance this time.
According to court documents reported by ESPN, the boxing legend-turned-promoter is accused of sexual assault in a civil lawsuit filed against him and his tequila brand, Casa Mexico.
The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday in Los Angeles, according to reports.
The Accusation
“Oscar De La Hoya sexually assaulted Ms. Ruccione. As a survivor of this abuse, she wants others to know this behavior is unacceptable — and it doesn’t matter who you are,” the woman’s attorney, Sylvia Torres-Guillen, said via statement to CBS News Los Angeles. “We will seek justice on her behalf.”
According to reports, the former female Casa Mexico employee alleges that De La Hoya sexually harassed and sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions.
“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,” De La Hoya said in a statement to ESPN. “I am confident my legal team will resolve this matter and prove my innocence.”
What Happened?
The suit also alleges gender discrimination, wrongful termination, and negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The filing reportedly is very detailed about the incident.
The filing alleges that a Casa Mexico company event in Mexico in March 2020 involved visiting the brand’s distillery. The plaintiff claims that on the first night she woke up to the sound of De La Hoya knocking on her hotel room door.
Upon opening the door, she alleges that De La Hoya stood there with his pants down around his ankles and he forced his way into the hotel room and even got into her bed.
The woman says she pushed him out of her bed and walked him back to his room.
The Next Day
However, the following morning, after De La Hoya failed to show up for the scheduled distillery tour, the woman claims to have gone to his room to wake him and alleges De La Hoya pulled her into his bed and sexually assaulted her.
The woman then says that she attended a company party at a restaurant upon returning to Los Angeles, where some people ended up at De La Hoya’s home afterward.
However, at some point, De La Hoya was alone with the woman, and, per the reported filing, she alleges that he “revealed and retrieved a sexual object from a stored collection in his house.”
De La Hoya, the woman claims, “forcibly inserted the sexual object into her body.”
No Punishment
The woman also claims that she told Casa Mexico executives about these incidents. However, according to reports, she felt they didn’t punish him. Per reports, she states that she feared retribution from the company in the complaint if she spoke out.
Subsequently, Casa Mexico sued the woman and company founder Eric Gerardo Leyva-Buccio for breach of fiduciary duty in December. That case is still open, according to reports.
As a result, the current lawsuit is reportedly a counter-complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against Casa Mexico, company executives Michael Gooch and Robert Crossan, DV Capital Partners, and De La Hoya.
Toxic Masculinity?
Through her attorney, the alleged victim’s statement accuses Gooch and Crossan of “perpetuating toxic masculinity and a hostile work environment where” abuses of the plaintiff were not just tolerated “but encouraged and condoned.”
De La Hoya, 49, is the founder and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. The 49-year-old former six-division world champion and Olympic gold medalist introduced Saul Canelo Alvarez to the world on a significant stage.
