The 19-year-old woman who accused Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant of rape was named on Tuesday by a nationally syndicated talk-show host and on the Internet, pushing her into the spotlight despite pleas for privacy from her family.
“We’re told that rape is violence, not sex, and if that’s true there’s no reason she should feel shame or embarrassment,” Leykis said, adding that he felt it unfair to name Bryant but not his accuser.
The talk-show host, who is heard on 60 stations across the country, also said he did not believe the woman’s claims. He said he believes the woman was seeking attention and money and that Bryant could be the “real victim” in the case.
The 19-year-old woman attended a party just days before charges were filed against Bryant and appeared to be in a good mood and “bragging” about the incident, several teen-agers at the party told NBC News on Tuesday. Another friend told the Associated Press that the woman had “visible evidence” of the alleged attack a week later.
The alleged victim was at a party three days before the charges were filed and appeared to be in a good mood, NBC News reported, citing five party attendees.
“She was bragging about it,” party host Steve Evancho told NBC News.
The victim described Bryant’s anatomy when asked about it at the party, the host said.
Another friend gave a different impression of the victim, saying she was still “shaken up” by what happened.
Luke Bray declined to be more specific out of respect for his friend and her family.
“There is visible evidence of what happened,” he said.
Eagle County sheriff’s spokeswoman Kim Andree declined comment on NBC’s report and Bray’s statement. Neither prosecutor Mark Hurlbert nor Bryant’s attorneys returned telephone messages seeking comment.
Meanwhile, a friend of the alleged victim told the Rocky Mountain News that the woman has had second thoughts about filing charges against Bryant.
“She just didn’t think that it was going to get this big,” said Brigitte Lowry, who told the Rocky Mountain News that was a best friend of the accuser.
Lowry also told the newspaper that the woman has received some death threats over her accusations.
