Encarnacion's lawyer calls STDs claim 'completely inappropriate'
THE CANADIAN PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 05:38 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 10:41 PM EDT
TORONTO — A New York woman is suing Edwin Encarnacion, alleging the Toronto Blue Jays slugger knowingly infected her with two sexually transmitted diseases.
Ashley Lebron, 24, filed the lawsuit in a New York court on Monday. She says in a statement of claim she contracted genital herpes and chlamydia after having unprotected sex with Encarnacion in February. She’s seeking US$11.5 million in damages.
The documents contain allegations that have not proven in court.
Encarnacion hasn’t spoken publicly about the lawsuit battery. His agent, Paul Kinzer, didn’t immediately return a telephone message Tuesday but in a statement released to Fox Sports and others called the claim “completely inappropriate and meritless.”
Kinzer added Encarnacion “will take every legal measure to defend himself against this frivolous claim and will bring appropriate claims in the appropriate forums against all of the individuals seeking to exploit his financial position.”
Encarnacion, 33, was batting .268 with 101 runs-batted in and 35 homers heading into Toronto’s home game Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels. He’s in the final season of a four-year, US$39-million deal that will pay him $10 million in 2016.
Lebron says in her statement of claim that her family has long been acquainted with Encarnacion’s. She says she met the player in 2013 when Toronto was playing in New York and that Encarnacion provided tickets to the game for her and her family.
Lebron says in court documents she and Encarnacion met again in September 2015 in Baltimore.
In February, Lebron said Encarnacion invited her to the Dominican Republic. Court documents allege he purchased round-trip plane tickets for her, arriving Feb. 13 and leaving Feb. 15, although he later changed the departure date to Feb. 16.
According to the court documents, Lebron and Encarnacion had unprotected sex on more than one occasion while in the Dominican.
When she returned to New York, Lebron claims she began experiencing body aches, headaches, a fever and chills as well as a stinging sensation when urinating. The statement of claim says Lebron went to hospital and was told she might have a urinary tract infection.
Shortly afterwards, Lebron claims she went to another hospital where she was diagnosed with genital herpes and chlamydia. She said the hospital informed her “she most likely contracted herpes from her last partner, which was Encarnacion,” the statement of claim says.
After informing Encarnacion about her conditions, Lebron alleges he said he was “clean.” Lebron adds in the documents that Encarnacion claimed she may have picked up the virus when they went four-wheeling and swam in a river but eventually agrees to get tested.
Lebron also claims Encarnacion contended on Feb. 26 that he had papers proving he was “clean.” But, according to the statement of claim, after asking him repeatedly if he has received his test results, Lebron alleges Encarnacion told her the results hadn’t come back.
Encarnacion's lawyer calls STDs claim 'completely inappropriate' | BLUE JAYS | B
Jays slugger to fight STD claim: Agent
By Sam Pazzano, Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 09:47 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 10:45 PM EDT
Allegations that Blue Jays star Edwin Encarnacion knowingly infected a family friend with sexually transmitted diseases are “frivolous” and “meritless,” his agent said Tuesday.
Ashley Lebron, 24, alleges in civil lawsuit filed in U.S. court that she contracted genital herpes — a non-curable STD — and chlamydia, which is curable, after having unprotected sex on three occasions with Encarnacion in the Dominican Republic in February 2016.
Lebron is seeking $11.5 million in damages, alleging Encarnacion, 33, inflicted “bodily harm” by having unprotected sex that exposed her to the STDs without disclosing his infectious condition.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Paul Kinzer, Encarnacion’s agent, said in a statement sent to the Toronto Sun that Encarnacion won’t be commenting on the civil suit but will respond in court to the allegations.
“He will take every legal measure to defend himself against this frivolous claim and will bring appropriate claims against all of the individuals seeking to exploit his financial position,” Kinzer said.
“This is an unacceptable attack on his exceptional character and stellar reputation within the baseball community as a man who carries himself with the highest level of integrity.”
The Jay’s designated hitter earned $10 million this year and will become a free agent at the end of the season. He’ll receive a substantial pay hike based on his stellar performance this year.
Lebron, who lives in New York, maintains in documents filed with the U.S. District Court that Encarnacion grew up across the street from her aunt in the Dominican Republic and that her family had been friends with his for years.
However, she first met him on August 20, 2013 in the Jays’ “Family Room” in Yankee stadium after he provided four tickets to a Jays/Yankees game for her, her aunt and a friend of his.
Two years later, the court documents suggest Lebron reconnected with Encarnacion and at his urging was introduced to an unnamed Jays teammate.
That led to an invite for her and a friend to attend a Jays versus Baltimore Oriole game during the height of the Jays’ successful pennant race in September 2015.
Lebron claims the teammate fed her “weed chocolate,” making her “very high,” and both smoked marijuana from a “weed pen” before they had protected sex in the hotel where the Jays were staying.
The unidentified teammate — not a defendant in the lawsuit — isn’t alleged to have done anything wrong.
In December 2015, after experiencing “certain issues,” Lebron had herself checked but tested negative for STDs, although she was diagnosed with “bacterial vaginosis.”
After the Jays season ended, Encarnacion invited Lebron to the Dominican and paid for her round-trip air tickets where she stayed with her aunt “Chave” in La Romana in February 2016.
Lebron maintains she twice rebuffed Encarnacion’s advances at his house but had fun four-wheeling, dancing and playing pool with him.
Then, after a night of excessive drinking, dancing and some weed smoking at Encarnacion’s home, Lebron and Encarnacion had unprotected sex on the night of Feb. 13-14, the lawsuit alleged.
They drank champagne, shared a joint and later that night, had unprotected sex, according to the legal document. Encarnacion claimed he didn’t have any condoms at the time, the suit alleged.
They had unprotected sex on two more occasions and Encarnacion spent Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend Karen Yapoort.
Shorlty after returning to New York, Lebron says she was diagnosed with herpes and chlamydia, the lawsuit alleged.
Robert Hiltzik, a New York attorney representing Lebron, told the Sun his client has been “very upset” since being diagnosed with STDs and will be “suffering for the rest of her life” with the stigma and health issues they present.
Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Hiltzik said his client — who lives in Nassau County, New York — won’t be speaking with media.
“The complaint really speaks for itself,” he said. “We stand by what we wrote.”
When asked why the lawsuit was filed now, he said they “did try and resolve it in another fashion.
“And it was clear that that was not going to happen,” he said. “So we really had no choice.”
Encarnacion is not a citizen of the U.S. but Hiltzik believes there is still jurisdiction in New York to allow the case to proceed.
“We think there’s enough of a connection in this, given the details of this matter,” he said.
Hiltzik added they have been in touch with Encarnacion’s counsel.
— With files from Maryam Shah and The Canadian Press
spazzano@postmedia.com
Jays slugger to fight STD claim: Agent | BASEBALL | Blue Jays | Sports | Toronto
THE CANADIAN PRESS
First posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 05:38 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 10:41 PM EDT
TORONTO — A New York woman is suing Edwin Encarnacion, alleging the Toronto Blue Jays slugger knowingly infected her with two sexually transmitted diseases.
Ashley Lebron, 24, filed the lawsuit in a New York court on Monday. She says in a statement of claim she contracted genital herpes and chlamydia after having unprotected sex with Encarnacion in February. She’s seeking US$11.5 million in damages.
The documents contain allegations that have not proven in court.
Encarnacion hasn’t spoken publicly about the lawsuit battery. His agent, Paul Kinzer, didn’t immediately return a telephone message Tuesday but in a statement released to Fox Sports and others called the claim “completely inappropriate and meritless.”
Kinzer added Encarnacion “will take every legal measure to defend himself against this frivolous claim and will bring appropriate claims in the appropriate forums against all of the individuals seeking to exploit his financial position.”
Encarnacion, 33, was batting .268 with 101 runs-batted in and 35 homers heading into Toronto’s home game Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels. He’s in the final season of a four-year, US$39-million deal that will pay him $10 million in 2016.
Lebron says in her statement of claim that her family has long been acquainted with Encarnacion’s. She says she met the player in 2013 when Toronto was playing in New York and that Encarnacion provided tickets to the game for her and her family.
Lebron says in court documents she and Encarnacion met again in September 2015 in Baltimore.
In February, Lebron said Encarnacion invited her to the Dominican Republic. Court documents allege he purchased round-trip plane tickets for her, arriving Feb. 13 and leaving Feb. 15, although he later changed the departure date to Feb. 16.
According to the court documents, Lebron and Encarnacion had unprotected sex on more than one occasion while in the Dominican.
When she returned to New York, Lebron claims she began experiencing body aches, headaches, a fever and chills as well as a stinging sensation when urinating. The statement of claim says Lebron went to hospital and was told she might have a urinary tract infection.
Shortly afterwards, Lebron claims she went to another hospital where she was diagnosed with genital herpes and chlamydia. She said the hospital informed her “she most likely contracted herpes from her last partner, which was Encarnacion,” the statement of claim says.
After informing Encarnacion about her conditions, Lebron alleges he said he was “clean.” Lebron adds in the documents that Encarnacion claimed she may have picked up the virus when they went four-wheeling and swam in a river but eventually agrees to get tested.
Lebron also claims Encarnacion contended on Feb. 26 that he had papers proving he was “clean.” But, according to the statement of claim, after asking him repeatedly if he has received his test results, Lebron alleges Encarnacion told her the results hadn’t come back.
Encarnacion's lawyer calls STDs claim 'completely inappropriate' | BLUE JAYS | B
Jays slugger to fight STD claim: Agent
By Sam Pazzano, Toronto Sun
First posted: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 09:47 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, August 23, 2016 10:45 PM EDT
Allegations that Blue Jays star Edwin Encarnacion knowingly infected a family friend with sexually transmitted diseases are “frivolous” and “meritless,” his agent said Tuesday.
Ashley Lebron, 24, alleges in civil lawsuit filed in U.S. court that she contracted genital herpes — a non-curable STD — and chlamydia, which is curable, after having unprotected sex on three occasions with Encarnacion in the Dominican Republic in February 2016.
Lebron is seeking $11.5 million in damages, alleging Encarnacion, 33, inflicted “bodily harm” by having unprotected sex that exposed her to the STDs without disclosing his infectious condition.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Paul Kinzer, Encarnacion’s agent, said in a statement sent to the Toronto Sun that Encarnacion won’t be commenting on the civil suit but will respond in court to the allegations.
“He will take every legal measure to defend himself against this frivolous claim and will bring appropriate claims against all of the individuals seeking to exploit his financial position,” Kinzer said.
“This is an unacceptable attack on his exceptional character and stellar reputation within the baseball community as a man who carries himself with the highest level of integrity.”
The Jay’s designated hitter earned $10 million this year and will become a free agent at the end of the season. He’ll receive a substantial pay hike based on his stellar performance this year.
Lebron, who lives in New York, maintains in documents filed with the U.S. District Court that Encarnacion grew up across the street from her aunt in the Dominican Republic and that her family had been friends with his for years.
However, she first met him on August 20, 2013 in the Jays’ “Family Room” in Yankee stadium after he provided four tickets to a Jays/Yankees game for her, her aunt and a friend of his.
Two years later, the court documents suggest Lebron reconnected with Encarnacion and at his urging was introduced to an unnamed Jays teammate.
That led to an invite for her and a friend to attend a Jays versus Baltimore Oriole game during the height of the Jays’ successful pennant race in September 2015.
Lebron claims the teammate fed her “weed chocolate,” making her “very high,” and both smoked marijuana from a “weed pen” before they had protected sex in the hotel where the Jays were staying.
The unidentified teammate — not a defendant in the lawsuit — isn’t alleged to have done anything wrong.
In December 2015, after experiencing “certain issues,” Lebron had herself checked but tested negative for STDs, although she was diagnosed with “bacterial vaginosis.”
After the Jays season ended, Encarnacion invited Lebron to the Dominican and paid for her round-trip air tickets where she stayed with her aunt “Chave” in La Romana in February 2016.
Lebron maintains she twice rebuffed Encarnacion’s advances at his house but had fun four-wheeling, dancing and playing pool with him.
Then, after a night of excessive drinking, dancing and some weed smoking at Encarnacion’s home, Lebron and Encarnacion had unprotected sex on the night of Feb. 13-14, the lawsuit alleged.
They drank champagne, shared a joint and later that night, had unprotected sex, according to the legal document. Encarnacion claimed he didn’t have any condoms at the time, the suit alleged.
They had unprotected sex on two more occasions and Encarnacion spent Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend Karen Yapoort.
Shorlty after returning to New York, Lebron says she was diagnosed with herpes and chlamydia, the lawsuit alleged.
Robert Hiltzik, a New York attorney representing Lebron, told the Sun his client has been “very upset” since being diagnosed with STDs and will be “suffering for the rest of her life” with the stigma and health issues they present.
Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Hiltzik said his client — who lives in Nassau County, New York — won’t be speaking with media.
“The complaint really speaks for itself,” he said. “We stand by what we wrote.”
When asked why the lawsuit was filed now, he said they “did try and resolve it in another fashion.
“And it was clear that that was not going to happen,” he said. “So we really had no choice.”
Encarnacion is not a citizen of the U.S. but Hiltzik believes there is still jurisdiction in New York to allow the case to proceed.
“We think there’s enough of a connection in this, given the details of this matter,” he said.
Hiltzik added they have been in touch with Encarnacion’s counsel.
— With files from Maryam Shah and The Canadian Press
spazzano@postmedia.com
Jays slugger to fight STD claim: Agent | BASEBALL | Blue Jays | Sports | Toronto
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