Khaberni - The former lover of Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, accused him of raping her and spying on her with hidden cameras while she was naked.
Michelle Ritter, a 31-year-old tech entrepreneur, detailed the allegations in a file submitted last week to the Supreme Court of Los Angeles County, alleging that Schmidt (aged 70) subjected her to sexual assault with beating, harassment, domestic violence, and violations of computer hacking and wiretapping laws.
Last month, the "New York Post" revealed details of the bitter legal dispute, stemming from a relationship that began in 2020 and deteriorated with allegations of assault and corporate betrayal, highlighting the risks of high-stakes personal and business relationships in "Silicon Valley."
In the sensational file submitted last week, Ritter states that the tech billionaire raped her aboard a yacht in November 2021.
Ritter said: "He followed me to the shower cabin, pushed me forcefully against the wall, and raped me by force. I begged him to stop and screamed that he was hurting me, but he ignored my pleas. The next morning, Schmidt tried to convince me that I enjoyed the assault."
She also stated that Schmidt began to have sex with her while she was asleep, in August 2023, at the Burning Man festival: "I clearly said 'no' and tried to make him stop, but I learned that attempting physical resistance would be futile and would only make things worse."
Ritter also accused Schmidt of unwanted voyeurism and pressures concerning strange sexual preferences: "On multiple occasions, Schmidt secretly filmed me without my consent while I was naked, including entering the bathroom to take pictures while I was showering."
The claims of physical assault include him pushing her several times, resulting in bruises and scratches, and intimidating her by screaming inches from her face. In an incident that occurred in New York, it was said that he pushed her onto a desk.
Ritter described Schmidt as "fickle," noting that he stripped off his clothes and exposed himself to his private plane crew and transported marijuana aboard the plane.
She also accuses Schmidt of pressuring her to "look very sexy and attractive" in business meetings, and urging her to use prescribed medical stimulants for weight loss — only to later mock her for looking "gaunt."
She pointed out that he made derogatory comments in front of her colleagues, including: "You should see her naked," soliciting comments about her attractiveness, and said after she misspoke: "At least she looks pretty."
Ritter claims that Schmidt installed spying software on her computer in November 2021, allowing him access to her text messages, emails, and documents: "On various occasions, Ritter was using her email account or Google Workspace and saw emails and documents being deleted or changed as if someone else was controlling her keystrokes."
Ritter also mentioned that Schmidt confessed to creating a "backdoor" to Google's servers to access information about anyone, extending beyond her to include targeted employees.
Their relationship ended after photos surfaced in early 2024 of Schmidt with a 22-year-old woman, according to court documents, but Ritter noted that surveillance escalated after the breakup.
In response, Schmidt's lawyer, Patricia Glaser, formerly a lawyer for Harvey Weinstein, said: "This is the latest desperate and destructive effort to spread false and defamatory statements – directly contradicting her own words – to distract and evade accountability in an old business dispute."
