Stormy Daniels Mentioning Ben Roethlisberger During the Trump Trial Wasn't on Our Bingo Card
What do Ben Roethlisberger and Donald Trump have in common? Much more than a mention in his hush money trial.
Published May 8 2024, 2:22 p.m. ET
It stands to reason that May 7, 2024, will go down in history as the day a courtroom had to hear someone describe in horrifying detail, their sexual encounter with former President Donald Trump. Stormy Daniels testified during President Trump's hush money trial and left a roomful of people, and later anyone who read the coverage, slightly nauseous.
What no one could have predicted was Daniels mentioning Ben Roethlisberger, who spent 18 seasons playing quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His nickname was Big Ben and while there's definitely a low-hanging fruit joke there, his appearance during her testimony was surprising to say the least. What do Ben Roethlisberger and Stormy Daniels have in common? Here's what we know.
Ben Roethlisberger and Stormy Daniels once shared a meal together.
Following her testimony about allegedly having sex with President Trump in 2006, Daniels was cross-examined by his attorney Susan Necheles, per CNN. "Am I correct that you hate President Trump," she asked. Daniels said, "Yes." Necheles then inquired about Daniels' desire to see President Trump go to prison. "I want him to be held accountable," she answered. After accusing Daniels of profiting off a lie and extorting the former president, Daniels moved on to the day after their encounter.
"The next day, I met him this time at my hotel at a nightclub restaurant downstairs," testified Daniels. This was in Lake Tahoe where President Trump was playing in a celebrity golf tournament. ""I arrived and he was sitting at a booth," she explained. Who was sitting next to him, but Big Ben himself. The tournament was most likely the American Century Championship where Roethlisberger placed 47th out of 80 while President Trump placed 62nd.
Nothing happened between Daniels and Roethlisberger, apart from the adult film star trying on his Super Bowl ring. As far as we know, Roethlisberger has never publicly mentioned this hangout session. Perhaps he was too busy settling his own sexual assault lawsuits.
Ben Roethlisberger and Donald Trump have both been accused of rape.
Perhaps Roethlisberger and President Trump were dining together in order to discuss one deeply upsetting thing they have in common, an alleged desire to exhibit control over women. And while Trump has been found liable for sexual abuse, Roethlisberger has settled one lawsuit. Another accusation lodged against the football player was dropped.
According to The Guardian, "Andrea McNulty, an employee of a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino," accused Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her in 2008. She was working at the front desk when he struck up a conversation with her. Later, McNulty said Roethlisberger called to complain about the television in his room not working. When she went up to look at this, he allegedly blocked the door and kissed her. Roethlisberger denied the allegations and settled a lawsuit in 2011.
Two years later in 2010, a far more disturbing situation allegedly happened to a 20-year-old college student in Georgia who met Roethlisberger at a nightclub. In her complaint, she said one of Roethlisberger's bodyguards forced her into a restroom where the football player was "waiting with 'his penis out of his pants.'"
She claimed he raped her after which a medical exam found "superficial laceration and bruising and slight bleeding in the genital area." Police said there wasn't enough evidence to formally charge Roethlisberger, so the case was dropped.
In 2016, Roethlisberger chose not to endorse Donald Trump for president. He told Ed Bouchette, a sports reporter who covered The Steelers, that "he will not attend the Republican convention and will not endorse nor speak for the candidate."