Gable Steveson addresses 2019 sexual assault case: “I did not do anything alleged” – POST Wrestling
Days after his loss at UFC 331, Gable Steveson has posted a statement to address his 2019 sexual assault case, which was brought up by his opponent before the fight.
Steveson addressed the 2019 sexual assault case in which he was arrested along with a teammate at the University of Minnesota on suspicion of criminal sexual conduct. Due to “inadequate evidence”, the two did not face criminal charges. The arrest occurred after a woman claimed she was raped and sought treatment at a hospital.
The subject of the allegations was brought up by opponent Sean Sharaf at last Thursday’s press conference, where Sharaf said, “Nobody likes a rapist. This guy raped a woman in 2019, and that’s why everyone is booing him. You can’t do that shit. That’s wrong.” Sharaf beat Steveson with a 12-second knockout at Saturday’s event in Los Angeles.
From Steveson’s statement:
This statement is for my family, my friends, my fans, and the people who truly know me and know the kind of man I am. I know there are people who will never support me, no matter what I say or do. That’s their choice. But I’m speaking to the people who know me not just as an athlete, but as a husband and a father to a young daughter.
Prior to and during fight week, an incident from my college years was brought up by my opponent. I believe it was raised to get in my head, but it also reopened something that had been addressed years ago.
I want to be clear: I did not do anything alleged. I was never charged with a crime, and the matter was ultimately dropped by the district attorney. The allegations were not ignored nor brushed aside. They were thoroughly and heavily reviewed as I fully cooperated with law enforcement, including a separate Title IX review.
There were no criminal charges, no conviction, and no finding of responsibility against me. The matter was closed, and there is no pending legal issue involving me. My own attorney did their own investigation and stated on the record that even if the law was changed, I would have the same outcome, which now speaks for itself.
I understand how serious allegations like this are, and I understand that people may have questions when they hear only part of a story. Moving forward, I am going to keep focusing on my wife, my daughter, my family, and the work in front of me. To the people who support me, thank you. I know who I am. The people who have walked with me through life know who I am. That’s what matters to me, and that’s where I’m going to keep my focus.
As for my opponent, congratulations, you caught me. A mistake on my end was made. It was your night. Just like my wrestling days after my loss, I came back with an undeniable will to win and focus that led me to the top of my sport. The result of Saturday night, I believe, will catapult me to do the same. I will be great, and this won’t deny me.
In December 2019, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said, “There are conflicting versions of what happened and this case is no exception” and that “In the interest of justice, there is inadequate evidence to fairly charge and prosecute this case.”
From the AP story on the case not moving forward, “Freeman also hinted that alcohol may have been involved, saying that under Minnesota’s current laws on intoxication and a victim’s ability to give consent, his office was restricted in how it could bring charges in the case”.
Steveson’s lawyer Christa Groshek stated in 2019 that her client was “100% innocent.”
The law in Minnesota regarding the ability to give consent despite intoxication was changed in 2021.
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