Matt Riddle Sexual Assault Lawsuit Update

As noted before, Matt Riddle is currently involved in a lawsuit by his sexual assault accuser Candy Cartwright. Among the allegations in the lawsuit includes Riddle sexually abusing and committing violence against Cartwright in multiple instances.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that Riddle filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on December 3rd to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

Johnson reported that Riddle’s filing stated that he was involved in an extra-martial affair with Cartwright in April 2017 that lasted until Riddle’s wife learned of it some time afterwards. Riddle also claimed that he had no control over Cartwright’s bookings with both WWE and EVOLVE following the end of their relationship.

In regards to the allegations made against him, the filing claims that the Circuit Court of Cook County does not have any legal jurisdiction over him nor Cartwright due to neither living in the state of Illinois. The filing also stated that Cartwright lawsuit fails to establish any real legal jurisdiction for the court for her case.

Riddle is also claiming that Cartwright’s timeline of the alleged events in Illinois do not match Riddle’s own timeline and whereabouts during that time period.

Riddle’s filing also included an affirmative from videographer Joseph M. Ranta that stated that the alleged May 19, 2018 sexual abuse incident could not have taken place in Illinois as Cartwright claims in her lawsuit.

Based on Mr. Ranta’s GPS and Ms. Tavel’s June 19, 2020 Twitter post, the earliest time the assault could have occurred was during the 2.5-hour drive between the Denny’s in Portage, Indiana, and Mr. Ranta’s residence in Mason, Michigan. Therefore, it is impossible to state a claim under the IGVA for violence that did not arise in Illinois between nonresidents of Illinois.

Even drawing the facts in a light most favorable to Ms. Tavel, the May 19, 2018 assault is inherently implausible and her right to relief is speculative at best. Mohammed v. Sidecar Technologies, Inc., No. 16 C 2538, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 156090, at *20 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 10, 2016) (dismissing claim where court could not draw reasonable inference that defendant violated the statute based on conclusory and speculative allegations). It is implausible that Mr. Riddle would ask to engage in sexual intercourse “in front of other members of Evolve while on a bus,” immediately after performing at a wrestling event, without any witnesses in a small but full vehicle. If that did happen, no matter the size of the vehicle, surely, someone would have noticed the assault and said something. Count I does not plausibly state a claim, and it should be dismissed.