In her complaint against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, plaintiff Andrea McNulty claims that she checked into a Reno hospital on September 25, 2008, with major depression and anxiety. She attributes her condition to the alleged sexual assault.
But our friends at Joe Buck’s favorite web site report that “[s]ources connected” to the case claim that her psychiatric care is unrelated to any alleged interaction with Roethlisberger.
Instead, the sources claim that McNulty’s psychiatric problems arose from a bizarre situation involving McNulty and another man’s wife.
Here’s the story, as best we can understand it.
Per TMZ, McNulty was involved with a married man. The married man’s wife created a phony e-mail account, posing as a solider in Iraq, apparently in the hopes of gaining information about McNulty’s relationship with the married man. A former coworker of McNulty’s claims that McNulty “fell in love” with the fictitious soldier, and that McNulty began telling people they were engaged.
The wife of the married man stopped the correspondence, and McNulty then began telling people the fictitious soldier was killed in action.
TMZ also reports that McNulty and Roethlisberger had a consensual “sexual liaison” in July 2008.
Without knowing the identity of the sources for this information, it’s difficult to properly assess it. If, for example, TMZ has gotten the information from coworkers named as defendants in the case, they have a clear incentive to blame McNulty’s problems on something other than the Roethlisberger situation.
Indeed, it’s a standard part of the playbook for anyone who is sued in civil court. The plaintiff almost always is attacked, and a female plaintiff claiming sexual misconduct invites a healthy dose of what became known as the “nuts and sluts” defense whenever someone directed allegations of sexual misbehavior at a certain former President who eventually had no choice but to admit his deeds, as to at least one former partner.
So we’re continuing to keep an open mind as to all sides of this one, and we’ll continue to provide updates as events warrant.