Bryant denial made accuser 'sick to her stomach,' friend says

CNN ^ | July 21, 2003 | CNN

[Recourse]

EAGLE, Colorado (CNN) --Hearing NBA all-star Kobe Bryant deny the sexual assault charge filed against him made his accuser "sick to her stomach," a friend of the woman said Monday.

Bryant, an all-star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, has been charged with one count of sexual assault. He has steadfastly maintained his innocence, and after the charge was announced Friday, he admitted having sex with his 19-year-old accuser but said the encounter was consensual.

[The Great RJ]

One thing seems certain--the woman voluntarily went to Kobe's room and was not forced or abducted. That act alone is not too brilliant on her part.

[BunnySlippers]

Why is this such a divisive issue already? It has become vicious here on the FR every time the subject is brought up. And NONE of us know any real facts as yet, and probably won't for quite a while.

Historically, all threads about trials and legal action turn into slug-fests.

[af_vet_1981]

"She's not doing this for the attention or the money," Yandle said. "She just wants to see a consequence and for him (Bryant) to be behind bars. She's here for the justice."

Yes

Yes

Yes

[af_vet_1981]

One thing seems certain--the woman voluntarily went to Kobe's room and was not forced or abducted. That act alone is not too brilliant on her part.

The same can be said for Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Corbin Jones, and Kathleen Willey if you want to voice public support for Bill and Hillary Clinton.

There is no difference, except that she was brave enough to file her complaint the next day.

[sinkspur]

Cosby is also the one who a few minutes ago said the police are extremely confident of their case based on physical evidence alone.

Well, duh. What does she expect the police to say?

[riri]

Something stinks about this case

I agree. If KB was a mad rapist who raped young withi a half our of encountering them--would there not be evidence of this somewhere?

Even with OJ, by now we would have seen the photos of Nicole with the bruises and heard the 911 tapes.

[BunnySlippers]

I do not tend to believe by default the stories of women that go to the bedrooms of celebrities in the middle of the night, and then cry foul. And if this woman has clear evidence of rape, why hide in the shadows. Something stinks about this case, IMHO.

I have always admired Kobe Bryant and I really, really don't want to think that he committed this crime. But he probably did.

Just because someone goes up to your room does not mean that they are asking to be raped.

As for the girl hiding in the shadows, I can assure you that he attorney will not allow her to speak publicly. Kobe won't be either.

[kegler4]

"There is no reason in the world for a woman who screams rape after sleeping with a celebrity to have anonymity. The media should expose this charletan, instead of giving her the P.R. advantage. They are smearing a celebrity simply because of his celebrity. And while I know little of this case, I am aware of the doctrine that a person is innocent until proven guilty."

For someone who "know(s) little of this case" you sure seem to have made your mind up. So explain exactly how you already know she's charletan?

BTW, I agree Bryant's innocent until proven guilty, but you've already assumed the woman is guilty. That's exactly why her name is public -- people who love Bryant will harrass her to no end.

[=Intervention=]

I quite agree. While what transponded afterwards is not yet clear (and this is not to say that she deserved that), it makes me wonder why she did that.

[cjshapi]

To add a little fuel to the fire I thought I'd bring up a case that involved Jerome Bettis last year. In doing a quick search I can't find any articles stating whether or not the woman involved was charged with any criminal conduct. Turns out she was lying and was looking for quick cash. As far as Kobe is concerned I don't have an opinion.

Bettis May Have Been Set Up in Sexual Assault Case

PITTSBURGH – Associated Press reports police are investigating whether a woman who accused Steelers running back Jerome Bettis of sexual assault lied as part of a blackmail scheme. Police are re-interviewing the woman and her uncle, the main witness in the case. Two people told police that the uncle talked about getting a woman to accuse Bettis of sexual assault to try to get an out-of-court settlement, the officials said on condition of anonymity.
11:23:23 AM

[cyncooper]

Did you see? The last long one got thrown in the Smokey Backroom already! And the trial hasn't even started.

LOL!

[lainde]

That's the BEST medical explanation I've ever heard to explain a 19 year old's incomprehensible behavior. I think our brains rapidly atrophy after 40 and we can't remember our own pathological state at 19.

[tiamat]

Friend of mine claims that teenagers flush their brains when they turn 13.... Years later ( she claims at age 30) they suddenly rediscover the lost brain again, usually in an unsuspected out of the way place like the inside of the dryer or a gym locker......

Tia

[SunStar]

For someone who "know(s) little of this case" you sure seem to have made your mind up. So explain exactly how you already know she's charletan?

Because she's making the worst possible allegations, yet sitting behind a veil of media secrecy. To me, this is a sucker-punch tactic.

BTW, I agree Bryant's innocent until proven guilty, but you've already assumed the woman is guilty. That's exactly why her name is public -- people who love Bryant will harrass her to no end.

I don't know anything about Kobe Bryant, nor do I even watch or follow sports.

However, while the media assume that Kobe Bryant is guilty based on an anonymous person's allegation, without presenting any evidence to the public, I find no reason why I should support her.

And by the way, she isn't "innocent until proven guilty", Kobe Bryant is. She is the one making the allegations, and the burden of proof is on her. (While we sit here without even knowing who she is.)

[Nick Danger]

"She's not doing this for the attention or the money," Yandle said.

That's why examining her background is a legitimate thing to do. This is not the first allegation of sexual assault we've ever seen against a wealthy sports celebrity. Sometimes there turns out to be a less-than-pure motive in making such an allegation. There was a woman sent to jail in Texas for making similar accusations concerning members of the Dallas Cowboys. It was her bad luck that somebody had a video camera running at the time.

We cannot dismiss out-of-hand the possibility that she is indeed doing this for attention or money. She might not be, but this is after all a famous individual with millions of dollars, and we have seen such things before.

So it is very reasonable to ask: is there anything about this woman that suggests an ongoing propensity to seek fame, or attention, or money? Well, let us count the ways. Cheerleader. Drama queen. Tried to get on American Idol. Pulled the old "Look at me! I'm killing myself" stunt.

Yeah, this is an attention-seeking drama queen. Maybe she was raped. But maybe this is just another attention-seeking drama queen shtick. I pity the jury trying to sort that out.

[AppyPappy]

They are smearing a celebrity simply because of his celebrity.

They fact he raped her had nothing to do with it.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

She went voluntarily to her room cause she was a hotel employee and he called for room service apparently.

It appears that this is a completely different situation than someone going voluntarily to a room. Even if she went not out of job requirments, that doesn't give the person in the room the right to rape her.

[CyberAnt]

Hmmmm? She could have been crying because she realized his statement sounded credible (I'm not saying it is).

However, she could have been crying because now that the public has been informed she tried to commit suicide - Bryant's press conference makes her look even less credible than him ..??

[SunStar]

They fact he raped her had nothing to do with it.

Oh, has that been proven in a court of law?

[tiamat]

cyncooper wrote:

However Rita Cosby just reported what seemed to have been the likely scenario in the first place: That the girl, who worked at the hotel,was delivering something to his room that was hotel related. Cosby is also the one who a few minutes ago said the police are extremely confident of their case based on physical evidence alone.

********************************************

If that is accurate, and all she was doing was delivering towels or something as night-staff, then his case is not so certain

Tia