Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has reportedly settled his '09 Lake Tahoe rape case for a lot less than you would expect.
Back in 2009, Roethlisberger famously got himself embroiled in yet another sexual assault scandal when an employee at Harrah’s resort in Lake Tahoe accused him of getting inappropriate after a 2008 charity golf event. Said host alleged that the Steelers quarterback got her into his room by claiming that he needed to get his TV fixed, only to then do some not-so-good things once she got up there.
A lot has happened in the last two years and change, and apparently time has healed old wounds enough for a settlement to have been worked out. While nobody knows the exact figure it took to make everything right between Roethlisberger and his accuser, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk is reporting that it was a lot less than you would think it would be. As per Florio:
Though no one is saying anything publicly about whether and to what extent money changed hands, a league source tells PFT that the alleged victim received “less than a game check.”
Based on Roethlisberger’s 2011 salary of $6 million, a game check costs $352,941.17. Based on his 2012 salary of $11.6 million, a game check amounts to $685,352.94.
In contrast, Roethlisberger lost $1.894 million via his four-game suspension in 2010 following the allegations of sexual assault in Georgia, which resulted in no prosecution.
Inevitably Roethlisberger’s settlement will stir up the old question that always seems to come along in these situations: if he’s innocent, why is he paying? The reality is that even if he is innocent, paying this woman a fraction of his yearly paycheck is advantageous for the Steelers passer because it ensures that he’ll never have to talk about this again. And if he can get that sort of peace of mind for the mere cost of a single game check, then clearly it’s worth it.
Or maybe he’s partially/all the way guilty and he’s just buying innocence. Thanks to the confidentiality agreement that comes standard with these type of deals, we’ll never know.
Either way, once Roethlisberger signs over a check of at most $685,352.93, he’ll finally be free and clear in a way that he hasn’t been since that now infamous 2009 case.
Related Content
2012 NFL Mock Draft V2.0: Picks 1-5
Video: Of Course Broncos QB Tim Tebow Performed at a Concert with Brad Paisley
Giants Targeted 49ers Kyle Williams Because of His Concussion History