Report: Nanny suing Mike Ribeiro for sexual assault

By Cory Buck | Mar 6, 2015

Feb 24, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators center Mike Ribeiro (63) looks to pass the puck during the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

The former nanny of Nashville Predators center Mike Ribeiro is suing him and his wife, alleging sexual assault from Ribeiro and abuse from his wife.

Nashville Predators center Mike Ribeiro and his wife are being sued for more than $1 million by their former nanny for accusations and sexual assault and threats to her well-being stemming to incidents allegedly taking place in 2012. The Associated Press reports that she claimed Ribeiro caused “body injury” while his wife “made inappropriate comments and/or threats.”

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“My client was and is a young girl, and no young girl should be subjected to that kind of behaviour, the kind of conduct by an adult that she’s complaining about,” attorney Larry Friedman said on the accuser’s behalf.

While such a case could prove to be a major distraction at the very least for the Predators center, Ribeiro quickly refuted the accusations through his attorney and promised to fight any charges brought to him and his wife. Beyond that, there has been no word from his camp on the charges.

“I can say that the Ribeiros plan to vigorously fight this lawsuit,” attorney Brian Lauten wrote. “At the same time, Mike will maintain his focus of doing all he can to help Nashville win its first-ever Stanley Cup.”

The accusations stem from Ribeiro’s time spent between stints of playing center for the Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals. The case was originally filed this past July and is now being reviewed in a federal court in Texas.

The Nashville Predators were apparently aware of these charges shortly around the time they signed Ribeiro as a free agent this past summer, and the team has promised to stay out of the way while the legal proceedings unfold.

“Mike has indicated that the charge is without merit and is prepared to vigorously defend himself,” the team said in a statement. “We will allow the legal process to move forward without further comment.”

Mike Ribeiro only commanded a one-year deal for a hair more than a million dollars because of concerns over his character, but the Predators seem confident they did their due diligence in this regard and neither team nor player seems particularly concerned about these charges.

If Ribeiro is found guilty though, it’s fair to assume that could spell the end of his NHL career. It would be a shame, given Ribeiro’s resurgence on the Predators this year. He currently leads the team with 40 assists and averages more than 18 minutes played per game. Of course, if he’s found guilty, his hockey career will be the least of his concerns.

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