Kobe Bryant

CBS News

When one of the most famous athletes in the world is accused of rape, the world takes notice.

In 2003, a 19-year-old woman came forward to accuse NBA star Kobe Bryant of rape. Bryant was staying at a combination spa and hotel in Eagle, Col., where his accuser worked. The pair had met earlier in the day in the lobby; when he ordered room service that evening, she brought it to him — and then, she claimed, he grabbed her by the neck and raped her.

She claimed to have been injured to the point of bleeding, an allegation that proved credible when blood matching the woman’s DNA was found on Bryant’s shirt. This, combined with a bruise on the accuser’s face, painted a damning picture.

At first, Bryant denied all the allegations — but soon he changed his story, admitting that he had had sex with his accuser. He emphasized, however, that it had been consensual.

Eventually, after Bryant spent nearly $12 million paying lawyers to fend off the charges, the accuser refused to testify, and the prosecution could no longer move forward. Later — as is often the case with famous acquittals — Bryant and the accuser settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

Kobe Bryant holds a press conference about the rape charges against him.

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