Woman drops lawsuit accusing boxing champion Mike Tyson of 1991 rape

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) —

A woman who accused Mike Tyson of raping her in a limousine in 1991 is dropping her lawsuit against the former heavyweight boxing champion, according to a letter filed in U.S. District Court.

The letter from Tyson's attorney, Daniel Rubin, said the accuser's attorney “has informed me that plaintiff is withdrawing her complaint and voluntarily discontinuing” the case.

The March 7 letter to Judge Mitchell Katz was first reported by USA Today.

The woman's attorneys said Tuesday in a statement that the case had to be dismissed on procedural grounds.

“We are extremely disappointed that the court did not allow us to amend the pleadings in the case. It’s a shame our client’s case had to be dismissed on procedural grounds,” the statement provided by attorney Darren Seilback said. “We stand by our client’s account of the events and support her 100%.”

In her January 2023 lawsuit, the woman said Tyson, the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990, raped her after she met him at an Albany nightclub. She said she has suffered in the years since from “physical, psychological and emotional injury.”

Tyson denied the allegations.

He was convicted of rape in a separate 1992 case and served three years in prison.

The New York lawsuit was filed under the state’s Adult Survivors Act, which gave sexual assault victims a one-year window to sue over assaults that happened years or even decades ago.

Rubin did not respond to an emailed request for additional information.