Football
ESPN 5y

Woman says she told Neymar, 'Stop. Stop. No!'

A woman who has alleged that Brazilian football star Neymar raped her last month in Paris spoke publicly for the first time in a television interview that aired Wednesday in Brazil.

Najila Trindade Mendes de Souza told Brazilian TV SBT that she had agreed to have sex with Neymar, but when she told him they couldn't because he didn't have a condom, he "turned aggressive."

"When I asked him if he brought a condom, he said no. So I told him that nothing would happen," Mendes de Souza said. "He didn't listen, he turned, and he committed the act. ... I said, 'Stop. Stop. No! Stop.' But he didn't say much. He only acted.

"I just want justice. He left me very traumatized. I want him to pay for what he did."

Neymar, who has said he had two encounters with Mendes de Souza in France, has denied any wrongdoing.

He also is being investigated by Rio de Janeiro's cybercrime division for posting images of Mendes de Souza on social media without her authorization. Neymar said he posted the images and text exchanges to try to show that their relationship was consensual.

"We exchange Instagram messages, and he asked me when I could go to Paris, and I said, 'Right now, but can't afford the trip.' He said that he can handle it, and he paid for my flight ticket and hotel room," Mendes de Souza said during the interview.

A spokeswoman for Neymar, Day Crespo, has said that "because of the secrecy [of the investigation] we cannot comment."

But on Wednesday, the player's lawyers disputed a statement from Mendes de Souza's initial legal team saying that Neymar's representatives had asked for a meeting to discuss a settlement. The player's attorneys issued a statement saying that it was Mendes de Souza's lawyers who sought the May 29 meeting, at which no agreement was reached.

The first complaint presented by Mendes de Souza's legal team cited "aggression" or "physical violence" by Neymar. Mendes de Souza filed the more serious rape complaint against Neymar on Friday with police in Sao Paulo, and she has changed lawyers.

When the television interviewer asked if what happened on May 15 was rape or an "aggression," Mendes de Souza responded that it was "aggression together with rape."

During the interview, Mendes de Souza described herself as an "ordinary person who works, studies. I'm a model and a student of interior design who likes sports, training and dancing," as well as being "a daughter and mother."

The TV station broadcast Mendes de Souza's comments as Neymar sustained a ligament rupture in his right ankle during Brazil's national team friendly match with Qatar in Brasilia. The injury will force him out of Copa America.

Brazil's football confederation said in a statement after the match that Neymar will not recover in time to play in the South American tournament that starts on June 14.

On Thursday, Copa America co-sponsor Mastercard issued a statement to ESPN Brazil saying they will put a Copa America ad campaign involving brand ambassador Neymar on hold "until the matter is resolved."

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