Representatives for BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff have denied the allegations of rape that he is facing in a lawsuit.
A woman filing as ‘Jane Doe’ accused Retzlaff of raping, strangling, and biting her back in November of 2023. She is seeking $300,000 in damages.
The lawsuit, filed against Retzlaff in Utah in late May and obtained by Daily Mail, claims Provo cops encouraged the woman to remain silent, allegedly telling her: ‘Sexual assault victims never get justice.’
Provo, Utah police have rejected her accusations in a department statement: ‘From everything we have reviewed, this is not true.’
In the response issued on Friday, Retzlaff’s representation says: ‘Mr. Retzlaff specifically and categorically denies each and every and all allegations that he bit, raped or strangled [the woman], which are ridiculous and bizarre allegations, all of which are false and untrue.’
Additionally, the response states that the encounter with Retzlaff and his accuser was consensual and that they had exchanged lighthearted text messages to each other up through February 2024.
BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff has publicly denied accusations of rape he faces in a lawsuit
The suit, filed in late May, accuses Retzlaff of rape, strangulation, and biting in November 2023
Retzlaff’s attorneys are calling the lawsuit an extortion attempt, considering the quarterback developed into an NFL prospect about one year after their encounter.
Among the damages in the lawsuit, the accuser claims to have suffered emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, mental distress and anxiety as a result of the alleged rape. She is seeking damages in excess of $300,000 from Retzlaff.
‘A year and half after the rape and strangulation, Jane Doe A.G. continues to experience extreme post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma symptoms as she works to process what happened and move on,’ the lawsuit states.
Retzlaff’s attorney, Mark Baute, denied the accusations in his own statement at the time of the filing.
‘We look forward to proving that innocence,’ Baute said. ‘Jake’s focus this year will be on football. We don’t try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake’s innocence through the judicial system.’
The alleged assault is said to have taken place at Retzlaff’s home in November of 2023, when the California native was still a freshman with the Cougars. After connecting on social media a month earlier, the two spent weeks exchanging messages before he allegedly invited her to his home.
The accuser claims she and a friend attended Retzlaff’s home that night, where his friends and teammates were also socializing.
Later, she claims, after her friend went home, she and Retzlaff began to watch a movie and ultimately began kissing.
Retzlaff’s attorneys claim the accuser, identified as Jane Doe, is trying to extort him
Jane Doe’s lawsuit states she did not immediately disclose Retzlaff’s name to Provo police, but later informed them that it was the BYU quarterback, only to be told victims ‘never get justice’
However, she says she did not want to go any further.
‘Retzlaff began escalating the situation,’ the filing reads, ‘and Jane Doe A.G. tried to de-escalate the situation and attempted to slow things down, trying to pull away, and saying “wait.” She did not want to do anything sexual with him.’
After allegedly telling Retzlaff ‘no’ and trying to leave, Retzlaff grabbed her by the neck and proceeded to rape her, according to the lawsuit.
The experience was so painful, Doe claims in her lawsuit, that she actually ‘passed out.’
And when she was conscious, Doe ‘remembers tears rolling down her face as she fought to breathe,’ the lawsuit reads.
She went to the hospital two days later, where a rape kit was performed and her injuries were recorded.
Her lawsuit states she did not immediately disclose Retzlaff’s name to Provo police, but later informed them that it was the BYU quarterback.
‘At some point after speaking to the police, an officer reached out to her asking for the name because someone else filed a complaint against a football player and the police wanted to see if it was the same person,’ the lawsuit said.
‘At that point Jane Doe A.G. shared Retzlaff’s name, and the Provo police then encouraged her not to do anything because, as they claimed, “sexual assault victims never get justice.”‘
Provo police have released their own statement, questioning Doe’s claims against the department.
Retzlaff is rumored to be dating BYU softball player Jaelynn Lambert, who is another California native. The quarterback has posted pictures of himself with the outfielder on Instagram
Rabbi Chaim Zippel displays his ‘BYJew’ sweatshirt picturing Brigham Young University’s first Jewish quarterback, Jake Retzlaff
‘The civil suit states that Provo Police personnel discouraged the victim from proceeding, by telling her there is no justice for victims of sexual abuse,’ wrote a department spokesperson.
‘From everything we have reviewed, this is not true. We have a team of dedicated investigators and victim advocates whose sole mission is to provide justice to victims of sexual abuse. They do not send people away, warning them there is no justice for victims.’
Retzlaff, a junior, is rumored to be dating BYU softball player Jaelynn Lambert, who is another California native. The quarterback has posted pictures of himself with the outfielder on Instagram.
The first Jewish quarterback in BYU history, Retzlaff previously signed a name, image and likeness deal (NIL) with one of the world’s top kosher brands, Manischewitz.
Details of the deal were not revealed, but Manischewitz released a commercial starring Retzlaff, who actually autographed some matzoh during the minute-long clip.
