Nike Part Ways With Neymar Over Sexual Assault Probe

Nike have part ways with Paris Saint-Germain footballer Neymar after he “refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation” into an allegation of sexual assault against an employee.

Naija News understands that the alleged incident of sexual assault happened in 2016 and was reported to Nike in 2018.

As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the Nike employee alleged that in 2016, Neymar attempted to force her to perform oral sex after a promotional event in New York.

The employee made a complaint to Nike in 2018 which was then followed by the launch of an internal investigation a year later.

In 2019, after the employee expressed interest in pursuing the matter, Nike commissioned an independent investigation and also paid for the employee’s legal counsel.

Neymar Reacts

A spokeswoman for Neymar denied the sexual assault allegation and instead split with Nike for commercial reasons.

Neymar signed his first contract with Nike aged 13 when he was handed an 11-year contract, reported to be worth £74 million. The Brazilian has since signed a deal with Puma.

She said: “Neymar Jr. will vigorously defend himself against these baseless attacks in case any claim is presented, which did not happen so far.”

Nike Speaks

In a statement, Nike said: “The investigation was inconclusive. No single set of facts emerged that would enable us to speak substantively on the matter.

“It would be inappropriate for Nike to make an accusatory statement without being able to provide supporting facts. Nike ended its relationship with the athlete because he refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee.

“We continue to respect the confidentiality of the employee and also recognise that this has been a long and difficult experience for her.”

The article was originally published on Nigeria News