Eric Schmidt Faces Legal Challenges Amidst Controversy

Michelle Ritter, a 31-year-old tech entrepreneur and former mistress of Eric Schmidt, the 70-year-old ex-CEO of Google, has filed serious allegations against him in a Los Angeles County Superior Court.

She accuses Schmidt of rape, surveillance, and various abuses that reportedly took place during their relationship, which began in 2020. According to court documents, Ritter claims Schmidt raped her on a yacht in November 2021, slamming her against a wall in a shower and ignoring her pleas to stop.

Additionally, she alleges that he initiated sexual acts while she was asleep at the Burning Man festival in Nevada in August 2023. Ritter has previously filed a lawsuit against Schmidt, claiming stalking, abuse, and harassment.

In her allegations, she describes Schmidt as having created a digital surveillance system to monitor her activities, while the two were involved in disputes over finances and a failed AI startup. In December 2022, Ritter filed for a temporary restraining order against Schmidt, which led to a written settlement requiring him to make significant payments to her.

However, just a week later, she filed a domestic violence restraining order against him, which was withdrawn three weeks later after a new agreement was made. Among the disturbing allegations, Ritter claims Schmidt engaged in voyeurism, taking nude photographs of her without consent, and subjected her to physical abuse, including shoving her multiple times, leaving bruises and scratches.

She also alleges that he pressured her regarding her appearance at business meetings and mocked her for weight loss efforts. Furthermore, she claims Schmidt installed spyware on her computer to access her private information, asserting that he created backdoor access to Google servers for broader information retrieval.

Their relationship ended after photos surfaced in early 2024 showing Schmidt with a 22-year-old woman, leading to escalated surveillance claims from Ritter, including an incident where Schmidt allegedly broke into her Tesla and stole her laptop.

Schmidt's lawyer, Patricia Glaser, has denied all allegations, calling them false and defamatory. Meanwhile, Ritter's lawyer, Skip Miller, argues that the lawsuit seeks justice for a young woman who was allegedly abused by a powerful tech mogul.

The court filing also touches on their business dealings, including Schmidt's $100 million investment in their startup incubator, Steel Perlot, where Ritter claims Schmidt used accounting tactics to impose debt and removed her from control at another firm, Knox.

Sources indicate this case may have significant implications for Schmidt's public image and the tech industry as a whole.