Dodgers P Bauer files defamation lawsuit against The Athletic

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer sued The Athletic and former reporter Molly Knight on Tuesday, accusing them of “creating and spreading the false narrative” that he had fractured a woman’s skull during a sexual encounter.

The 26-page complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against The Athletic Media Co. and Knight, alleges two counts of defamation.

A woman obatined a protection order against Bauer under California's Domestic Violence Prevention Act last June as the result of an alleged assault that left the woman with “severe physical and emotional pain,” said Marc Garelick, the woman's attorney.

Los Angeles prosecutors said in February they decided not to charge Bauer, determining there was insufficient evidence to win a conviction.

The Athletic reported last June 30 that “there were signs of a basilar skull fracture,” citing a declaration by the woman.

The lawsuit says “CT scan results included in the medical records attached to the complainant’s declaration and possessed by The Athletic definitively concluded that she had ‘no acute fracture.’”

Athletic spokesman Taylor Patterson said in an email: “We are aware of legal action taken by Trevor Bauer. We’re confident in our reporting and plan to defend against the claim.”

Knight did not immediately respond to an email sent to an address on her website. She announced she was leaving The Athletic on July 30, 2021.

Bauer said of the woman during a video posted on YouTube in February: “The disturbing acts and conduct that she described simply did not occur."

The lawsuit claimed The Athletic and Knight defamed Bauer “by creating and spreading the false narrative that Mr. Bauer fractured the complainant’s skull. There was no basis for