Ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt Denies Rape, Spy-Cam Allegations From Tech Entrepreneur Mistress
The 70-year-old former Google CEO denied all allegations and in turn accused her of fabricating them.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt denied the allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct made by his former mistress Michelle Ritter, a tech entrepreneur, according to reports.
These allegations were detailed in Los Angeles court documents that went public. The matter is currently in private arbitration following a court order in September.
Ritter, the 31-year-old founder and CEO of Steel Perlot, an analytics firm, accused Schmidt of sexual assault, harassment and battery, domestic violence, non-consensual filming in intimate spaces and illegal wiretapping and computer hacking.
The 70-year-old former Google CEO denied all allegations and in turn accused her of fabricating them. He argued in court documents cited by The Daily Mail that Ritter had walked back on many of her accusations while she was under oath. This was reportedly done so that a confidential settlement could be eked out.
Schmidt's legal representation called the allegations "false and defamatory" and termed them as "fabricated and pathetic."
Schmidt alleged that the dispute began due to "Ritter's mismanagement" of their firm, and implied that the Steel Perlot CEO was trying to "extort him."
Ritter fabricated numerous false claims against Schmidt, including her fictional assault claims, in an attempt to gain negotiating leverage, his legal team reportedly said.
The two met through a business contact where Ritter, a 26-year old Columbia student pitched her her idea for a startup named StarX Networks to a then 65-year old Schmidt in 2020, who eventually became her "mentor and potential investor."
Schmidt is married to businesswoman and philanthropist Wendy Boyle.
Ritter detailed in the legal filing that she had initially avoided his advances but then gave in and "only allowed herself to fall in love with Schmidt because he repeatedly assured her that his marriage was over and that he and his wife were separated,” which was not the case.
They then started Steel Perlot together when things took a turn for the worse when Schmidt engaged in alleged abusive and coercive controlling behaviour.
Ritter accused Schmidt of two counts of sexual assault, with one such incident reportedly happening in a yacht in 2021 and another in 2023.
She also alleged in the legal documents that he tried control how she dressed and told her to use "prescription stimulants to lose weight", along with reportedly making indecent comments about her to his colleagues.
She also accused him of installing spyware into her computer in November 2021. The Daily Mail reported that the documents alleged Schmidt had "backdoor access to Google servers," which allowed him "to access anyone’s account and personal information."
