Celebs Settle For Big Bucks When Clune Represents Sex Assault Victims

Civil rights attorney John Clune is representing the alleged rape victim of Jarryd Hayne, the Australian-born Rugby star and former San Francisco 49ers running back. Clune has filed court documents on behalf of his client, identified as “Ms. V.” The assault is said to have taken place on December 21, 2015, after a 49ers game, when Hayne took the drunk young woman home from a bar. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and rejected it for insufficient evidence in October, 2016. Clune has successfully represented clients in other cases where alleged sexual assaults are reported months after they are alleged to have occurred. In 2003 he represented a 19-year-old hotel employee who had accused Kobe Bryant of raping her. Upon settling for an undisclosed amount rumored to be around $1 million, Bryant apologized, and made a public statement. “After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter,” he said. The case established Clune as a legal superstar.