Jenni Hermoso Pressured to Downplay Kiss, Court Hears

Teammate and brother testify in Spanish court on coercion
By Newser.AI Read our AI policy
Posted Feb 5, 2025 9:52 AM CST
Jenni Hermoso Pressured to Downplay Kiss, Court Hears
Former president of Spain's soccer federation Luis Rubiales arrives at a court on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain, Monday Feb. 3, 2025, where he goes on trial for his unsolicited kiss on forward Jenni Hermoso.   (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Jenni Hermoso was pressured to downplay the unsolicited kiss from former president of the Spanish soccer federation Luis Rubiales, who faces charges of sexual assault and coercion for the incident during the 2023 Women's World Cup awards ceremony. Hermoso's brother, Rafael Hermoso, and her former teammate, Misa Rodríguez, testified about the pressure exerted on the star to downplay the kiss. Rafael Hermoso stated that former women's national team coach Jorge Vilda asked him to persuade his sister to record a video with Rubiales, suggesting that cooperating would be beneficial for everyone. Jenni Hermoso told her teammates that she felt coerced, leading to their collective decision to support her refusal.

Rafael Hermoso testified that Vilda approached him during the return flight from the final in Australia, attempting to involve him in the effort to mitigate the incident's impact. Rafael Hermoso said: "I told him that I was not going to try to convince her to do something that I also don't agree with." He expressed concern about potential repercussions for his sister within the federation implied by Vilda, and said: "She came to us half-crying and told us that they were pressuring her to take a stance downplaying the kiss." Said Rodríguez: "She told us that she didn't want to do it and we supported her decision."

Rubiales resigned three weeks following the incident and was banned by FIFA for three years. He has not yet testified but denies the allegations, claiming to be targeted by a "witch hunt" led by "false feminists." Prosecutors, supported by Hermoso and the Spain players' association, are seeking a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Rubiales, along with a $51,800 fine and a ban from sports administrative roles. They also request one and a half years of imprisonment for three other defendants. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X