The woman who accused Matt Araiza of sexual assault has agreed to drop her lawsuit against the NFL player … this according to the former Buffalo Bills punter’s attorneys.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Araiza’s lawyers, Dick Semerdjian and Kristen Bush, said their client and his accuser have reached an agreement that will require the woman “to dismiss her complaint against him in the next week.”
“Matt is not paying the plaintiff any money,” the two attorneys said … adding, “and he is reserving his right to pursue the plaintiff’s attorney, Dan Gilleon, and his law office for the harm that they have caused him.”
The woman initially filed her suit back in August 2022 … claiming that when she was 17 years old, Araiza and two of his San Diego State football teammates raped her while she was attending a 2021 Halloween party at the punter’s Southern California home.
Araiza adamantly denied the allegations at the time — and in December 2022, prosecutors announced they would not be filing criminal charges against the football player, saying, “There is no path to a potential criminal conviction.”
Getty
Ex-Bills Punter Matt Araiza Wasn’t At Party At Time Of Alleged Rape, Prosecutors Say
Araiza’s attorneys said Tuesday the agreement that he and his accuser reached was “bittersweet.”
“Matt has been forced to defend himself for the last sixteen months against false accusations and a campaign to ruin his career in the NFL,” the attorneys said. “He will never get this time in his life back.”
Araiza was picked by the Bills in the 6th round of the 2022 draft … though he was cut by the team shortly after the woman filed her lawsuit against him.
He has not logged a snap in the NFL since … though his attorneys said Tuesday he “now has the full intention of returning to the NFL in hopes of a resuming a successful punting career.”