Exiled MLB Pitcher Trevor Bauer Settles With Accuser, Releases Texts Showing Woman Planned For Him To Choke Her In Extortion Plot
Exiled ex-Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, 32, settled an ongoing legal feud on Monday over sexual assault claims from 2021 by accuser Lindsey Hill.
(Warning: Details of alleged sexual abuse included below.)
Lindsey Hill, Trevor Bauer Legal Feud Ends In Settlement; Both Sides Speak
Hill made allegations of sexual assault, sharing that Bauer choked and punched her during a forced sexual encounter on May 15, 2021.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 31: Trevor Bauer, formerly of the Dodgers, on May 31, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Bauer, the 2020 NL Cy Young winner, followed up news of the settlement with a video detailing why he agreed to settle with Hill. He revealed text messages allegedly exchanged between Hill and her friends, which Bauer claims as proof that Hill plotted to extort the Dodgers pitcher. One of the alleged messages from Hill stated, "Need daddy to choke me out."
Alleged message from Hill, shared by Trevor Bauer.
Bauer first sued Hill for defamation in 2022; Hill countersued Bauer, alleging sexual battery.
Neither side will pay for the settlement apart from outstanding legal fees, and Hill will receive $300,000 on behalf of her insurance. Bauer is not paying Hill.
Trevor Bauer's legal representation and Hill released statements on Monday, indicating their intentions to move on from the years-long dispute — reported by The Washington Post.
Bauer's attorneys, Jon Fetterolf and Shawn Holley, announced: "Both of their respective claims have been withdrawn with prejudice, effective today."
Lindsey Hill released a statement on the settlement: "I’m finally free from his grip, and to be able to move forward with my life is better than anything money could ever give me, truly."
The allegations made against Bauer in 2021 led to his placement on MLB's administrative leave list and a 194-game suspension (originally 324) for violating their domestic abuse guidelines. Bauer spent the past year playing for the Yokohama DeNa Baystars in Japan and is still on the roster.
After being re-instated in 2022, the Los Angeles Dodgers — who signed Bauer to a three-year, $102 million deal before the allegations — later released the pitcher.
Hours after the news of the settlement, Bauer extensively addressed his settlement with Hill.
Trevor Bauer Responds To Settlement News With New 'Proof'
Bauer revealed in his video that the settlement provided him with communications made by Hill — though unconfirmed — including text messages exchanged with friends.
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He included the video of Hill, shot on May 16, 2021 — the morning after she first met with the pitcher.
Chats between Hill and her associates (including ex-Padres pitcher Jacob Nix) encouraged her to "get that bag" before and during her meet-ups with Bauer.
"Next victim. Star pitcher for the Dodgers," one of Hill's messages allegedly said.
"What should I steal?" Hill's message allegedly asked on a separate interaction.
"Take his money," Hill's friend allegedly responded, with Trevor Bauer adding that they frequently mentioned his net worth across chats.
"I already have my hooks ... Net worth is $51 million," Hill allegedly texted her friend.
"You better get his bag," Jacob Nix allegedly texted Hill after her second meet-up with Bauer.
Hill requested a restraining order against Bauer in 2021, which was ultimately denied. The LA County District Attorney’s Office declared in Feb. 2022 that criminal charges would not be levied against Bauer.
unconfirmed message from Lindsey Hill to a friend
Trevor Bauer said that he ultimately settled when Hill's team agreed to hand over proof previously held out of his reach and to "focus on baseball."
“Quite frankly, regardless of the outcome in court, I’ve paid significantly more in legal fees than Lindsey Hill could ever pay me in her entire life, and I knew that would be the case going in,” Bauer said. "But the lawsuit was never about the money for me."
After Hill's claims, Bauer faced three more allegations of sexual assault, including a woman in Arizona whose legal claim against the ex-MLB pitcher will go to trial in mid-2024.
Bauer remains persona non grata in MLB.
Story has been updated.