PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – West Indies limited overs opener Lendl Simmons has been ordered by High Court Judge Frank Seepersad to pay TT$150 000 (US$23 692), inclusive of aggravated damages, to a former lover in a case dubbed here as “revenge porn”.
Justice Seepersad made the announcement yesterday in the case where the court heard steamy details of Simmons’ short-lived affair with Therese Ho, who sought substantial damages from the 30-year-old Simmons for breaching the common law principle of confidence after he allegedly shared intimate photos of her.
Last month, the judge had delayed his ruling to October 26, on whether or not the right-handed batsman had breached confidentiality by leaking sexually explicit photographs of an account executive with whom he had a nine-month sexual relationship.
In handing down the judgement, Justice Seepersad said he was concerned the objectification of women continued to be viewed as culturally accepted.
“We must ask ourselves, how are we to build a developed nation when we encourage and celebrate disrespect,’ Justice Seepersad said.
“It is rather unfortunate that a young and talented cricketer like the defendant behaved in such a manner”.
He said that Simmons’ behavior “demonstrated a flagrant disregard for the feelings, emotion and dignity for the claimant.”
Simmons left the court without making any comment to reporters and the lawyers for the claimant said they would issue a statement later Monday.
He had denied being involved with Ho but admitted the two had a brief, singular sexual encounter.
Ho alleged that Simmons shared the intimate photos of her with his fellow cricket teammates while in India.
In his testimony, Simmons said it was Ho who first sent the photograph of her performing oral sex on him to his fiancée, now his wife and that he only sent the explicit photo to the father of her younger daughter after the latter asked for it.
“It was not an act of revenge or malice,” he said when asked why he sent the photographs to her ex-boyfriend. “I was upset.”
Simmons played eight Tests for West Indies before quitting the longer format earlier this year. However, he has continued to play the former shorter formats, and was a member of the West Indies team at the ICC Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand back in March.
