Two companies drop McGregor after civil jury ruled he must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her

LONDON (AP) — Two companies have cut ties with Conor McGregor after a civil court jury in Ireland ruled last week that he must pay nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) to a woman who accused the mixed martial arts fighter of raping her.

Proximo Spirits, the owner of Irish whiskey brand Proper No. 12, will no longer feature McGregor’s name or image on the drink.

“Going forward, we do not plan to use Mr. McGregor’s name and likeness in the marketing of the brand,” the company told the Irish Independent newspaper.

Video game developer IO Interactive also ended its collaboration with McGregor, who had played the role of a fighter in the game “Hitman.”

“In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately,” the company said in a statement on X. “We take this matter very seriously and cannot ignore its implications. Consequently, we will begin removing all content featuring Mr. McGregor from our storefronts starting today.”

Nikita Hand, who is also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, leaves the High Court in Dublin, Ireland, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, after a civil jury found that mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor sexually assaulted her in a hotel penthouse after a night of heavy partying. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)

It follows the ruling last Friday in a civil case where Nikita Hand claimed McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse in 2018.

Hand said the alleged assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The 36-year-old McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex.

The jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin.

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