Jenni Hermoso opens up about her kiss with Luis Rubiales after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory ‘wasn’t a consensus’ and she was ‘pressured to defend him’ amid the fallout
Jenni Hermoso confirmed this in a court hearing her kiss with Luis Rubiales after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory was not consensual and she was pressured to defend him amid the fallout.
The footballer appeared before a Madrid High Court judge on Tuesday to give her version of the events that followed Spain’s 1-0 win over England in Sydney in August.
Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips as the Spanish team received their medals and the trophy.
The former Spanish federation chief insisted the kiss was consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
He was banned from all football-related activities by global governing body FIFA and eventually resigned as president of the Spanish Football Federation.
Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso leaves the High Court in Madrid after testifying about the ‘Kiss-gate’ scandal involving former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales
Hermoso confirmed during the hearing that the kiss Rubiales gave her after the Women’s World Cup victory in August ‘was not consensual’
Rubiales resigned as president of the Spanish Football Federation and was suspended by FIFA after kissing Hermoso on the lips as they celebrated Spain’s World Cup victory in August.
Rubiales has resigned from the Spanish Football Federation and has been banned from football-related activities by FIFA for three years. He is facing a lawsuit for assault and coercion
The incident sparked outrage in the football world and triggered one of the worst crises in the history of the sport in Spain.
Hermoso filed a criminal complaint against Rubiales on September 6, and two days later, prosecutors filed a lawsuit against him for assault and coercion.
The alleged coercive act was related to Rubiales pressuring Hermoso to speak out in his defense after he was criticized for his behavior.
During her three-hour court appearance on Tuesday, Hermoso confirmed the same version of events she previously told prosecutors, stating that the kiss was “unexpected and not consensual at any time,” according to Marca.
As she left the court, Hermoso told the media, “Everything went well. I wanted to wish you a happy new year. Everything is in the hands of justice.
‘Thank you very much for the support you have given me and for the fact that many of you have handled things so well. I can appreciate.
“The process will take its course.”
The judge will also hear testimony from other World Cup-winning players, coaches and federation officials before making a decision.
Spanish media said Hermoso had asked the judge to keep her court appearance as private as possible.
Jenni Hermoso arrives at the High Court in Madrid to testify against former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales over the ‘Kiss-gate’ incident during the Women’s World Cup
Hermoso will testify at a closed hearing in Madrid on Tuesday while judges decide whether the case should be prosecuted
Hermoso and her legal team will arrive in Madrid for the hearing on Tuesday morning
The incident involving Rubiales and Hermoso marred Spain’s World Cup performance
She arrived in a gray coat and waved to journalists before entering the court through one of the main entrances with her lawyers.
Under a sexual consent law passed last year, Rubiales could face a fine or prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault.
Hermoso has described the kiss as “an impulsive, sexist act, misplaced and without any form of consent on my part.”
In September, Rubiales was served with a restraining order and is currently prohibited from being within 200 yards of 33-year-old Hermoso.
Hermoso, 33, the Spanish women’s team’s record scorer, said last year that she had received threats over the fallout from the kiss, although she did not elaborate.
Hermoso became somewhat of a celebrity in Spain after coming forward to denounce the kiss and help promote a ‘Me Too’ movement in the country. She was one of the New Year’s Eve presenters on public television on Saturday and called for a 2024 with more equality.
The boycott of the national team ended last year after players received guarantees of change within the federation following the intervention of government officials.
The player returned to the field in mid-September and was on duty for her club Pachuca Femenil
FIFA banned Rubiales for three years until after the men’s World Cup in 2026. His ban expires before the next women’s tournament in 2027.
In November, Hermoso told Spanish magazine GQ: “I forgot for a while that I was a footballer.
‘But you go back to training, to the field, with your kit on, and you try to be the best version of yourself again.
‘As a Taurus, I see that I have to fight, but also protect myself. When I want something, I go after it no matter how many times I fail and hit myself against the wall.
‘It helped me achieve everything I wanted to achieve in football.’