Star West Indian cricketer Chris Gayle has denied exposing his genitals to a massage therapist, claiming an Australian media group set out to “destroy” him in a defamation action yesterday.
The striking accusations were made by Fairfax Media newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times, in a series of stories in January last year.
According to AFP news agency, they claimed the all-rounder exposed himself to a female masseuse in a dressing room at the 2015 World Cup in Sydney and “indecently propositioned” her.
On the opening day of his defamation action, Gayle’s barrister told the New South Wales Supreme Court the allegations were “quite foul” and “quite wrong”.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Bruce McClintock said in the courtroom, “They intended to blacken his name. They want to destroy him.”
The newspaper cited Gayle as telling the court “it never happened”.
“It’s the most hurtful thing I’ve actually come across in my entire life,” he said.
