Former West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet is being investigated by police in Brazil after a woman accused him of physical, psychological and sexual violence. The allegations were made by Larissa Natalya Ferrari, a 28-year-old lawyer, in testimony to Brazilian authorities.
According to police documents, the alleged attacks took place between January 25 and February 6 this year. Ferrari said she had an extramarital relationship with Payet, who is 38 and has been married for 18 years, from September 2024 to March 2025. The pair met while Payet was playing for Brazilian club Vasco da Gama.
In an interview with Brazilian outlet G1, Ferrari described the alleged abuse, saying Payet used the term 'punishment' when she had disappointed him. She claimed he hit her, stepped on her face and body during sex, and forced her to put her head in a toilet and drink her own urine. She also alleged that Payet exploited her psychological vulnerabilities.
Ferrari said she has left Rio de Janeiro and is undergoing psychological and psychiatric treatment. She told Metropole that she only realised through therapy that she did not deserve the treatment she described.
Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed to AFP that the case had been registered at the Women's Police Station in Jacarepagua and that the investigation was ongoing and confidential.
