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Michelle Ritter, a 31-year-old tech entrepreneur and former partner of prominent Democratic donor and ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, has lodged accusations of sexual assault, surveillance, and other misconduct against the billionaire in a Los Angeles County Superior Court.
According to the New York Post, Michelle Ritter, who was once involved with Eric Schmidt, has brought forth significant allegations against him in a Los Angeles court. The 31-year-old entrepreneur claims that the 70-year-old former tech executive committed acts of sexual battery, harassment, and domestic abuse, along with infringing computer hacking and wiretapping laws, during their relationship that started in 2020.
Ritter’s court filings detail an alleged incident in November 2021, where she accuses Schmidt of raping her on a yacht, where he reportedly forced her against a shower wall and ignored her attempts to resist. Additionally, she claims he engaged in sexual activity with her without her consent while she was asleep at the Burning Man festival in Nevada in August 2023.
Previously reported by Breitbart News, Ritter has also filed a lawsuit accusing Schmidt of abuse and stalking.
Ritter alleges that Schmidt engaged in unwelcome voyeurism, taking covert photographs of her while she was unclothed, including entering the bathroom to capture images during her shower. She describes Schmidt’s behavior as “erratic,” accusing him of exposing himself to his private jet’s crew and transporting marijuana aboard the aircraft.
Ritter, who met Schmidt while still a student at Columbia University and began dating him in 2020, filed for a temporary restraining order against the tech mogul late last year. In early December, the two struck a “written settlement agreement” that required Schmidt to make “substantial payments” to Ritter, but just a week later, she filed an explosive “domestic violence restraining order” against him. The order was withdrawn three weeks later after the two sides apparently came to a fresh agreement.
Ritter further accuses Schmidt of unwanted voyeurism, claiming that he surreptitiously photographed her while she was nude, including entering the bathroom to take photos while she was showering. She describes Schmidt as “erratic,” alleging that he undressed and exposed himself to his private jet’s flight crew and transported marijuana on the plane.
Physical abuse claims include shoving her multiple times, leaving bruises and scratches, and intimidating her by screaming inches from her face. Ritter also accuses Schmidt of pressuring her to appear “really hot and sexy” at business meetings, urging her to use prescription stimulants for weight loss, only to later mock her for looking “emaciated.”
In addition to the physical and sexual abuse allegations, Ritter claims that Schmidt installed spyware on her computer in November 2021, allowing access to her texts, emails, and documents. She alleges that Schmidt confessed to creating a “backdoor” to Google servers for accessing anyone’s private information, extending beyond her to targeted employees.
The relationship ended after photos surfaced in early 2024 of Schmidt with a 22-year-old woman, according to court documents. Post-breakup, Ritter alleges the surveillance escalated, with Schmidt breaking into her Tesla and stealing her laptop while she dined at a restaurant.
Schmidt’s lawyer, Patricia Glaser, who previously represented Harvey Weinstein, denies the allegations, calling them “false and defamatory.” Ritter’s lawyer, Skip Miller, asserts that the lawsuit seeks justice for a brilliant young woman taken advantage of and abused by a powerful tech billionaire.
The court filing also delves into the business dealings between Ritter and Schmidt, who invested $100 million in their shared startup incubator, Steel Perlot. Ritter claims that Schmidt used accounting maneuvers to burden the company with debt and ousted her from another firm, Knox, stripping her of control over shared companies.
Read more at the New York Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
