Jenni Hermoso said Rubiales’ kiss was “tarnished.” Her World Cup victoryLuis Rubiales, the former head of the Spanish football organization, kissed Jenni Hermoso at the 2023 World Cup, saying it “tainted one of the happiest moments of my life.”Hermoso served as the initial witness in Rubiales’s trial, where he faces charges of coercion and sexual assault.”My superior kissed me,” she said in a statement that was turned in to the Madrid court, “and this is something that should never happen in any professional or social environment.”Outrage, demonstrations, and calls for Rubiales’ resignation were sparked by the event, which took place during the medal presentation after Spain’s World Cup triumph in Australia.
He rejects any misconduct and insists he is innocent.Hermoso claims that she felt very “disrespected” as a woman and that she never gave her agreement to the kiss.”I greeted the queen and her daughter, and then I came across Rubiales,” she said.She said that Rubiales abruptly seized her head and planted a kiss on her after their first hug to celebrate the triumph.”I didn’t process what was happening,” she said.”A kiss on the lips should only happen when I choose to give one,” she said.After the event, according to Hermoso, no one from the federation contacted her to inquire about her well-being.Despite feeling “completely abandoned,” she continued to celebrate Spain’s historic victory with her colleagues.”There was no space for me to sit and cry in the locker room,” she said.
When her students started to giggle at the problem, one of her coworkers, Irene Paredes, stepped in right away and said, “Stop, this is serious.”Additionally, Hermoso claimed that she was under pressure to make a statement immediately after the kiss that downplayed its significance, but she refused.She said that Rubiales encouraged her to record a video with him on the way home in response to abuse claims that were circulating on social media.”I declined. Since I wasn’t accountable for this circumstance, I promised him I wouldn’t take any action,” she said.She saw Rubiales’ children crying and others gathering around him throughout the trip.
