Warning: Graphic details
PORTLAND, Ore. – Dallas Mavericks owner and Shark Tank judge Mark Cuban was investigated in 2011 on allegations of sexual assault in Portland, according to a report from Willamette Week.
The alleged assault took place at the Barrel Room nightclub in the Old Town neighborhood on the night of Apr. 22, 2011. The Mavericks were in town for a playoff game against the Trail Blazers.
The woman, who Willamette Week did not identify because she’s an alleged victim of sexual assault, said Cuban put his hand down the back of her pants and inserted his finger into her vagina while the two posed for a photo. She told the newspaper she never sought media attention or money from Cuban and has moved on from the incident.
Nigel Jaquiss, the Willamette Week reporter who broke the story, said he thought the woman was believable.
“This woman told me that she never sought compensation. She didn’t ever want to be part of any kind of a media circus. She didn’t want to have anything further to do with Mark Cuban in any way," he said. "She just wanted this incident to be documented so people would know."
In a report explaining why they weren't pursuing the case, prosecutors wrote "there is no evidence to corroborate the complainant's statement and there is evidence contradicting the claim." The report also said the woman didn't want to proceed with the allegation.
“What the police found was there was insufficient evidence to move forward with the prosecution. What they did not find was that the woman was lying,” said Jaquiss.
Cuban, who admitted to drinking that night, denied the allegations when interviewed by Portland police in 2011.
"Oh! Hell no!" Cuban said to police in response to the allegation. "You don't think a hundred people would've noticed?"
The detective told Cuban he had several pictures of him with the woman and in two of them his shoulder was dipping and his arm appeared to be reaching down.
On Tuesday, Cuban reiterated his innocence, telling the Associated Press, "It didn't happen."
Jaquiss said even though charges were never pressed, he felt the story deserved attention.
“I think this complaint, even though it's nearly seven years old, absolutely fits in the national context of re-examining how men treat women,” he said.
Last month, Sports Illustrated published a report detailing several instances of alleged sexual harassment and domestic violence by Dallas Mavericks employees, including former president and CEO Terdema Ussery.
Despite the claims of multiple Sports Illustrated sources, Cuban said he was not aware of the sexual misconduct alleged in the article. In response to the report, Cuban said he hired a third party to handle future sexual harassment complaints for the organization.
“I don’t have any tolerance for what I’ve read,” Cuban told Sports Illustrated. “I feel sick to my stomach.”
KGW's Pat Dooris and The Associated Press contributed to this report.