Trigger Warning: This article includes discussion of alleged sexual assault, with details and description of the encounter taken from the plaintiff’s lawsuit.
Some shocking news has surfaced this week, as Marcellus Wiley is accused of rape. Husband to RHOBH newbie Annemarie Wiley, Marcellus is accused of raping a Columbia University student during his time at the school. Marcellus is scheduled to appear on upcoming episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 13, but his role may now be reduced due to this lawsuit.
The unnamed victim – who now serves as an Ivy League professor – accuses Marcellus of attacking her in the fall of 1994. Marcellus allegedly forced himself on the victim in her dorm room, ignored her verbal objections, and stole her virginity. This alleged attack led the victim to later attempt suicide.
According to The Post, the lawsuit states: “[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.”
Monsters of the past
The accuser in this case says she and Marcellus were friends. He allegedly invited himself back to her place so they could listen to music and eat dinner together. Plaintiff says she set clear boundaries, told Marcellus she was a virgin and not interested in sex.
“Ain’t nobody tryna have sex with no virgin! Don’t worry, I got you,” Marcellus is accused of saying. “Just coming to hang out while I eat. I don’t even have condoms on me.”
However, once he arrived at the dorm, things allegedly took a turn. Documents allege Marcellus ripped off the freshman’s clothes, before forcing her “facedown onto the mattress.” The victim says she was raped multiple times, while she could barely breathe and feared for her life.
Upon eventually escaping, the victim scrambled to find her clothes. Marcellus is accused of then verbally threatening her, and yanking her back into the room, before assaulting her again.
Marcellus Wiley rape allegations: Nobody would take action
The victim later confided in a friend about the attack, and reported the alleged rape. Columbia University administrators are accused of displaying “fondness” for the sports star, and dismissing the claims so Marcellus’ NFL future and college eligibility wasn’t harmed.
Residential Dean Kathleen McDermott is accused of saying the victim misinterpreted the encounter because she was born in the African island county of Cabo Verde.
The lawsuit reads: “McDermott then told the plaintiff that, in McDermott’s opinion, defendant had not actually raped plaintiff, because plaintiff was not from America and had therefore misinterpreted defendant’s conduct because ‘people from different cultures interpret things differently.'”
Marcellus was placed on academic probation and ordered to complete the Spring 1995 semester from home. He then returned to the school to complete his career, becoming captain of the Columbia Lions team.
“The following spring, while on mandatory leave, plaintiff attempted suicide,” the lawsuit continues. “Plaintiff was admitted to a locked hospital ward for two weeks before being released.”
Upon her return to campus, the accuser had to share multiple classes with Marcellus.
Taking back control
In the wake of the alleged attack, the now-professor became active in Columbia’s chapter of Take Back the Night. The organization aims to end sexual, relationship, and domestic violence. There, she met with other women who shared their own stories of rape – some even alleged that Marcellus had also assaulted them both before and after the alleged attack on the plaintiff.
Another alleged victim claims to have reported her rape to the school’s athletic director. They are accused of keeping the allegations under wraps until after Marcellus had played in a football game against a rival school.
Marcellus would go on to join the Buffalo Bills after being selected in the second round of the 1997 draft. He played on multiple teams across 10 seasons in the NFL, before working for ESPN’s NFL Live, and co-hosting the network’s SportsNation. Marcellus then moved to Fox Sports and FS1.
Despite being nominated for a score of awards, plaintiff diverted several of them. The school is said to have relented to her objections through fear of bad press. Now, Columbia is named in the lawsuit for negligence and reckless failure to protect its students from “sexual predators.”
The lawsuit was filed in the New York Supreme Court. Marcellus has denied that he raped his fellow student, dismissing the claims as “BS.”
National Sexual Assault Hotline
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