Ray McDonald: Former San Francisco 49ers Player Plans To Sue Rape Accuser, Claims She Ruined His Career

Ray McDonald lost his job with the San Francisco 49ers after being accused of rape last year, and now that charges appear on their way to being dropped, the NFL player is planning to file a lawsuit against the woman who accused him.

McDonald is reportedly planning to sue his accuser, claiming that she defamed him and interfered with his livelihood.

On Sunday, McDonald’s lawyer, Steven M. DeFilippis, wrote to the San Jose Mercury News, saying that the sex between McDonald and the alleged victim was actually consensual. The woman claimed that she slipped near the pool and hit her head and woke up in McDonald’s bed the next morning with no memory of what happened.

But DeFilippis claims otherwise. He said surveillance video from Ray McDonald’s home shows the two having consensual sex in a hot tub, going to a store together the next day, and then having sex several more times.

DeFilippis said the lawsuit is meant to clear McDonald’s name. The defensive end has been out of work since being cut by the San Francisco 49ers.

“In the eyes of the NFL teams, the unresolved threat of charges being filed against him, even though factually unfounded, continues to present a roadblock to this remarkable athlete being able to move forward in his career,” DeFilippis said in a release. “This lawsuit is intended to vindicate him… and return his good name.”

Ray McDonald said he wants people to know that he isn’t a rapist.

“I feel like what I am doing is the right thing because I know that I am not this bad person that people are making me out to be,” McDonald told ESPN on Monday. “I’ve been fired from my job. I know some teams don’t even want to talk to me because of this past accusation. All I am trying to do is clear my name and move on with my life.”

The incident also came at a difficult time for the San Francisco 49ers, following a 17-7 loss to the rival Seattle Seahawks. It was part of a stretch of poor play that ensured the 49ers would miss the playoffs for the first time after reaching at least the NFC Championship Game for three straight seasons.

The rape accusation against Ray McDonald came after the Santa Clara District Attorney chose not to file charges in an alleged incident of domestic violence with McDonald’s pregnant fiance.