Dak Prescott files lawsuit over alleged "extortion plot"
COLLIN COUNTY — Dak Prescott filed a lawsuit against a woman and two attorneys who demanded $100 million to keep an alleged sexual assault quiet.
According to the lawsuit, the alleged assault occurred on or around Feb. 2, 2017, after Prescott's rookie season with the Dallas Cowboys. The woman claims Prescott invited her out with two members of his "entourage" and other women to an establishment in Plano, later getting into a black SUV where Prescott allegedly exposed himself and "used physical force and sexually assaulted" her.
Prescott denied the allegations, his lawyers calling them "patently false" and "heinous" with "no basis in reality."
The woman's attorneys sent a letter dated Jan. 16, 2024, stating that she has suffered years of pain and trauma since the alleged incident, and undergoes therapy. The letter said she "is willing to forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered. Damages are valued at the sum of $100,000,000.00."
Prescott's lawsuit says he received the letter on Feb. 13.
Prescott's lawyers filed their lawsuit Monday against the accuser and attorneys Bethel T. Zehaie and Yoel T. Zehaie, alleging that they are attempting to extort him, among other claims.
Prescott's lawsuit states that he has never engaged in nonconsensual sexual behavior with anyone. It also says Prescott "has great empathy for survivors of sexual assault and believes fervently that all perpetrators of such crimes should be punished to the fullest extent of the law," and that false claims "undermine the courage of actual sexual assault survivors everywhere as well as the legitimacy of the horrific traumas they have endured."
"Mr. Prescott — a new father to a baby girl — has great empathy for survivors of sexual assault," Levi McCarthern, Prescott's attorney, said in a statement.
In a statement to CBS News Texas, Bethel Zehaie said, "We stand by the truth. Dak and his lawyers are trying to be bullies and play hardball and victim blame. We are not afraid of the truth. [The victim] has had to attend therapy and endure trauma because of the sexual assault ... This young lady was in absolute tears in my office. Dak needs to be held accountable for his behavior. We are not afraid of him or his legal team."
Prescott's lawyers say he committed to donating any money he may win in the case to the Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organization recognized for its work with victims of assault and abuse.