Gareth Bale’s former football agent is on trial for truly abhorrent crimes

Jonathan Barnett, the prominent British soccer superagent who represented stars like Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish and was once ranked by Forbes as the most powerful sports agent in the world, is facing serious allegations in a civil lawsuit filed in July 2025 in a California federal court.

An anonymous woman (referred to as “Jane Doe” in court documents) accuses him of:

Transported her from Australia (her country of citizenship) to the UK in 2017 on the pretext that she worked at his agency (then part of CAA Stellar following acquisitions).
Keeps her as a ‘sex slave’ for about six years (from 2017 to 2023).

Subjecting her to repeated rape (alleged more than 39 times), torture, physical violence (including hitting, kicking, whipping, and other acts), psychological control, and humiliating demands (such as self-harm videos, forced consumption of bodily waste, and calling him “master”).

Making threats against her life and that of her minor children to maintain control.

Using company resources, emails and employees to facilitate or cover up the alleged abuse, including referring to her as a “slave” in work communications.

The lawsuit also names his former employer, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and associated entities, claiming they knew or should have known and helped keep her in bondage. It describes this as ‘institutional abuse at the highest level’.

Barnett’s response: He has categorically denied all the allegations, calling them baseless and untrue. He claims the relationship from 2017 to 2021 was consensual, and he admits he paid her “well in excess of £1 million” after it ended (which he frames differently to the claimant’s claims). His legal team attempted to dismiss the civil case, which raised issues of jurisdiction (as a resident of Britain).

Additional developments: A criminal investigation is underway in London (UK) into the allegations, which include claims of rape and torture.
Court records as recent as January 2026 include the accuser’s statements alleging constant threats (for example, to kill her and her children if she speaks out) and further details of the alleged control and abuse.
Barnett left CAA Stellar in early 2024, around when the agency reportedly first learned of the claims.

These are allegations in a civil lawsuit and a related criminal investigation; No criminal convictions have been reported and the cases are ongoing. Major media outlets reporting on this include The Guardian, BBC, The Telegraph, Los Angeles Times and The Athletic.

Barnett and his representatives claim he will be completely right.

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