Rodman Sued for Assault
August 22 -- Wild child Dennis Rodman is being slapped with a $10 million sexual assault lawsuit, but it's not just another run-of-the-mill suit for the much-arrested, much-sued ex-b-baller.
The woman in question, one Tina New, is already a witness in the unrelated murder trial of an ex-boyfriend, who she claims killed his millionaire wife. The murder suspect, Eric Bechler, is awaiting trail, but New has since recanted her statement, the Orange County Register reported.
Regarding Rodman, New claims that on the night of Aug. 20, 1999, the bad boy celeb reportedly had his bodyguards abduct her from a Newport Beach, Calif., hot spot where they met; force-fed her two "shots" of an unidentified (and presumably alcoholic) liquid; and later sexually assaulted her at his home.
According to New's lawsuit, Rodman "continuously threw her around into different sexual positions, grabbing her all over the body in a rough manner."
Since New waited 10 days after the alleged incident to report it, police were not able to gather physical evidence of a rape and subsequently dismissed all charges against Rodman.
"The accusation is false," said Rodman's attorney, Paul Meyer, adding, "This matter will be vigorously defended."
It must have been a busy weekend for Rodman: On the night of Aug. 21, he was arrested in Newport Beach for being drunk and disorderly but was behind bars for mere hours before being released, APBnews.com reported at the time.
New is, wouldn't you know it, a fledgling actress and has appeared on television shows such as Baywatch and Wings.
Rodman was previously hit with a sexual assault lawsuit by a Las Vegas stripper, who claimed he grabbed her breast in a Vegas hotel room. She later dropped the suit.
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