Marcellus Wiley has gone most of his life without major legal troubles. However, it seems even he may not escape the grasp of the Adult Survivors Act. In an unexpected turn of events, Wiley has been hit with a sexual assault lawsuit filed under the ASA.
This is one of many more lawsuits of this kind that have been filed recently. Concurrently, the allegations against Marcellus Wiley place him among the high-profile men with cases filed against them just before the ASA expired. Notably, celebrities like Sean Combs and Jamie Foxx have been accused of sexual misconduct within the last few weeks. Moreover, Cuba Gooding Jr. has been hit with assault allegations yet again. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at the case against the former pro footballer.
What Are The Allegations Against Marcellus Wiley?
An alumnus of the prestigious Columbia University, Marcellus Wiley graduated with a degree in Sociology in 1997. Now, over two decades after leaving the school, he has been accused of doing something inadequate in his time there. On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, an unnamed woman who claims to be an alumna of the university filed a lawsuit against him. According to the document, the plaintiff was a student of sociology herself, with a focus on race and culture. However, in the fall of 1994, she was a freshman, and Wiley was a sophomore when he allegedly forced himself on and raped her. Additionally, she claims that he relentlessly ignored her verbal objections and robbed her of her virginity in the process.
Excerpts From The Lawsuit
The lawsuit was filed in New York State Supreme Court, and excerpts from the document have since been shared by PEOPLE. “Defendant Marcellus Wiley told plaintiff he would come visit her later that evening in her room,” it states. “Plaintiff responded: ‘Okay, but I don’t have sex. I’m a virgin.’ Defendant Marcellus Wiley laughed and responded, ‘Relax, relax, wow! I don’t mean like that! I’m just going to come by there to get food from Grandma’s [Restaurant], so I’ll just come up to say hi before I head back.’ Defendant then joked that ‘nobody liked having sex with virgins.’”
Subsequently, the plaintiff allegedly apologized to Wiley, informing him that she just wanted to be upfront with him. She did this so that “he would not feel misled” about her intentions and what she was willing to do. Afterward, Wiley allegedly responded, “Ain’t nobody tryna have sex with no virgin! Don’t worry, I got you. Just coming to hang out while I eat. I don’t even have condoms on me.”
Following their conversation, Wiley eventually joined the woman in her single room, according to the lawsuit. In short, soon after his arrival, he allegedly sexually assaulted the plaintiff and raped her multiple times. The lawsuit further alleges that “[Wiley’s] actions were intentionally designed to cause plaintiff severe emotional distress or were taken with reckless disregard of the significant and/or substantial probability of causing plaintiff severe emotional distress.” In addition, the lawsuit states that “the following spring, while on mandatory leave, plaintiff attempted suicide. Plaintiff was admitted to a locked hospital ward for two weeks before being released.”
Marcellus Wiley’s Response
Soon after the lawsuit was filed in court, Marcellus Wiley addressed the topic on his YouTube channel. While he admitted to spending the night in the plaintiff’s dorm room, the former Buffalo Bills player denied the allegations of rape and assault. On his channel, he claimed that he was invited to her room and that she had to sign him in and out on his arrival and departure. Additionally, he insisted that although they “did mess around,” they “did not engage in intercourse.” No further information has been provided yet about the case.
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