Flatley gets $11m settlement over claim

Michael Flatley has accepted an $11 million (£5.4 million) settlement after he sued a woman who falsely accused him of sexual assault and tried to extort millions of pounds from him.

Real estate agent Tyna Marie Robertson alleged that the Riverdance star had raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2002. She then threatened to get her lawyer, Dean Mauro, to file a sexual assault lawsuit unless Flatley paid a sum to her, thought to be around £15 million.

Flatley refused to pay the money and claimed that Robertson had consented to the sex. She filed a civil sexual assault lawsuit in Illinois against him but the case was later dismissed.

The dancer insisted that his secretary, who had been sleeping in the room next door to where the alleged assault took place, did not hear Robertson protesting. He also said that the estate agent kissed him in front of his secretary the following morning and had breakfast with him.

Flatley sued for defamation, extortion and fraud in the court papers after the Supreme Court gave him permission to do so.

He agreed to the settlement after the Californian Supreme Court heard that the accusations were false.

The Lord of the Dance creator is thought to be worth around £375 million.