CR7 Rape claims: Mayorga’s lawyer to quiz past girlfriends

• including Kim Kardashian

Lawyers of the model who claims Cristiano Ronaldo raped her in Las Vegas could question his former flames Gemma Atkinson, Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian.
Police have re-opened the case into the allegation that the footballing superstar, 33, sexually assaulted Kathryn Mayorga, 34, in June 2009.
The model-turned teacher’s legal team has confirmed that the Portuguese athlete’s ex-girlfriends could be quizzed as part of the probe, reports the Sunday Mirror.
Among those who attorneys want to question is former Emmerdale and Hollyoaks actress Atkinson – who dated the then-Manchester United forward in 2007.
Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and supermodel Irina Shayk could also be questioned under oath, according to the report.
Ronaldo strongly denies the allegations made by Ms Mayorga.
There is no suggestion that the Juventus player sexually assaulted any of his previous girlfriends.
Leslie Stovall, Ms Mayorga’s attorney, told the Mirror that former relationships provide a “great insight” into the accused’s conduct and behaviour.
She added: “It will help build a picture of Mr Ronaldo’s behaviour which could prove vital to our case.
“I want to speak to any girlfriend who knew or knows him intimately. I will travel to the UK if I need to.”
Ronaldo faces the prospect of paying back a fortune to his sponsors if an allegation he raped a former model is ever proven, according to a leading lawyer.
Simon Leaf, who specialises in commercial contracts for Mishcon de Reya, said the star’s backers may seek to get back a “chunk” of the millions they have already paid him.
The news comes after both Nike and EA Sports issued public statements on the back of the sexual assault claims – which have been vehemently denied by the Juventus star.
Nike said it was “deeply concerned” by “disturbing” allegations it said it would monitor closely. EA Sport also described the situation as “concerning”.
Mr Leaf told the Telegraph he is certain the global star’s high-profile backers will now be checking the small print in their contracts with the 33-year-old.
He said: “This is likely to include not only their rights to terminate or suspend the relationship if the allegations prove to be accurate, but also whether they may be able to recover past fees paid to him.
“I’d be surprised if in a chunk sponsorship agreement, that we regularly advice on, there wasn’t some kind of representation that Ronaldo provided confirming that there were no issues that he was aware of that may cause the relevant brand harm, such as reputations damage, later down the line.”
On Friday, we revealed how the nine-year-old allegation of rape against the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could bring his carefully cultivated empire crashing to the ground.
Ronaldo’s extraordinary talents and eye for goal once made him the world’s most expensive footballer and this summer he moved to Juventus for £100million — a record for a player over 30.
But the bulk of his wealth comes from being one of the most marketable athletes on the planet — with 31 endorsement deals signed in the last 15 years including a $1billion “lifetime” contract with Nike.
Herbalife, TAG Heuer, Emirates airline, Toyota, KFC Arabia, PanzerGlass and oil giants Castrol are among other firms linked to him.