Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has opened up about sexual assault and rape allegations…kinda. At a conference for Christian men, the quarterback has blamed alcohol and an adult film addiction for his indiscretions.
The allegations date from a 2009 lawsuit in which a woman accused Roethlisberger of raping her in a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2008. He eventually settled that lawsuit for an undisclosed sum. A woman accused Roethlisberger of rape again in 2010, alleging that he exposed himself and assaulted her in a Georgia nightclub. Though the victim declined to press charges, Roethlisberger lost an endorsement deal with Big Ben’s Beef Jerky. The NFL also suspended him for six games during the 2010 season.
Now Roethlisberger has named adult entertainment as the real villain in his life, forcing him to commit various “sins.” It’s worth noting that he never actually disclosed what those specific sins were.
Related: Oregon State cans footballer over racist, homophobic language
While speaking at the Christian men’s conference “ManUp,” which “encourages and teaches men to be godly leaders for their families, and raises awareness of the devastating impact of fatherlessness among youth today,” Roethlisberger spoke out about his demons.
“It’s not always easy,” Roethlisberger admitted. “People don’t realize all the time that us athletes, we’re human. We sin like everybody else. I am no different. We make mistakes. We get addicted to things. We sin. We’re human. I think sometimes we get put on this pedestal where we can’t make mistakes. I’ve fallen as short as anybody. I’ve been addicted to alcohol. I’ve been addicted to [adult films], which makes me then not the best husband, not the best father, not the best Christian I can be.”
Medical experts have found claims of adult entertainment addition dubious at best. Even then, overcoming addiction hardly makes up for what Roethlisberger has been accused of.
Godabed
A man not taking responsibility for his actions and blaming others for his problems… in a America, that would never happen! LMFAO.
Chrisk
Wow. That must have been some really good porn if it forced you to rape those women.
This excuse has been used so much I’m surprised he can even say it with a straight face. Oh well. The Christian loons will still eat it up every single time since they already believe porn is evil.
Donston
Things like drugs, alcoholism and over obsession with pornography are often a reflection of issues that you already have and can help agitate some things. But blaming those things for attempting to rape someone (there have been multiple allegations) is scummy. And it’s of course about absolving yourself from responsibility, which too much of religion is about.
Neoprene
ManUp. Huh. So I DO have something in common with christian men since that’s what I try to do sometimes at bars and always at my friendly local bath houses.
Onecaddy13
That’s the most asinine excuse for his alleged misfortunes. If you claim innocence, ManUp, don’t settle and let your peers decide your fate. I’m pretty sure there are a lot of people out there that look at different styles of porn but hopefully they don’t rape. You would never get away with that now as your defense as you did back then just because you were a great football player and hometown hero for some and had money. Totally disgusting and inexcusable.
Creamsicle
“The Devil made me do it!”
How about all the men who watch porn, drink and don’t go around raping anyone? You know, the overwhelming majority of people who watch porn.
I think porn addiction is real. I think it has harmful impacts on the sex lives if people who consume it frequently, especially from a young age before their media literacy and critical thinking skills are developed. I don’t think there is sufficient evidence to blame individual instances of rape, and especially a pattern of rape, on porn addiction though.
Onecaddy13
@Creamsicle. Well said..
vancouverdoug
and this is in a gay website for…..?
afrobella
Some gay people are women…gay people are impacted by rape culture and toxic masculinity…everyone should be caring about rapists being let loose.
vancouverdoug
Of course, this is a serious topic and he is scum. But Queerty tends to feature straight men because they are white and could be considered “hot” by some.
GREATGLORYHOLER
What a Huge Pile of Steamy Bull Shit He is a piece of work. ” We Are Human, Sometimes We get put on this pedestal where we can’t make mistakes ” NO!!! You are a High Paid Professional Athlete that though he could do what he pleased with Women and got caught. Don’t Blame Alcohol or The Adult Film Industry and cry to the Christian Men’s Conference for Forgiveness.
Onecaddy13
@GGH. On Point!!! agree 1000%
butchqueen
Godly sack of shit.
ShiningSex
IF YOU’RE ACCUSED OF RAPE OR ANY FORM OF ASSAULT AND SETTLE OUT OF COURT. SORRY, BUT YOU’RE GUILTY.
NO ONE WHO WAS INNOCENT WOULD LET SOMEONE DEFAME THEIR CHARACTER LIKE THAT AND GET AWAY WITH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY. SO I AM SURE HE WAS GUILTY OF THOSE ACCUSATIONS. HE’S GARBAGE.
toddlicious
All in the name of Christianity… thank “gawd” all these men have their scape goat in Jeezus.
zephyr69
I guess Big Ben is a Jerky.
blackhook
“Big Ben’s Beef Jerky” …lol, Big Ben is a Big Jerk, that’s for sure! Love his hiding behind ‘sin’ & embracing Christianity — the biggest fraud in history
garybw
Maybe I misread the article.. did the man who threw a ball for living ever say he was sorry for raping women and he is grateful to god for not being in prison.
Another republican being paid to speak about how great god is. I have no morals, but I am an athlete who is addicted to porn and booze. Perhaps if he really believed in god he wouldn’t have raped at all.
sillyme
He’s not willing to say that he’s a sexual predator and will blame everything he can not to take the fall by himself and anyone who’s listening to that claptrap will be right along with him in that boat.
Cam
The Mormon church is actively pushing this cop out also. They blame porn for ANYTHING that goes wrong, from divorce, to alcoholism, etc.
If he’s a rapist, then he’s a rapist.
Black Pegasus
His claims are kinda incredulous in my view. If anything, porn is a healthy escape for most people. It channels your natural urges towards a safe and private experience. Repression of your urges could lead to acting out fantasies and such but watching them play out through porn is a way to safely satiate those desires.
Ben is full of shtt lol
Chrisk
Yeah, seems to me if the Rapist here had spent more time jerkin it to porn it would mean less time devoted to abusing women. Of coarse this is as much about his male privilege and narcissism as much as anything else. That requires another way of thinking.
Using religion if anything just makes it worse since religion itself teaches that women should submit to men. Of coarse he’ll be into that.
dhmonarch89
I do think watching things EXCESSIVELY CAN influence your actions…excessive violence on TV/films and video games can lead to a desensitizing of violence (watch cop shows- all the cops seem to beat people up these days on them) and watching sex excessively where rape/harassment is used as a fantasy/device can do the same. How many people within the porn industry have gotten messed up by it- or went into it in the first place because of sexual traumas growing up? I’m not making blanket assumptions, just conceding that all things have multiple reasons- and porn may lead to risky behavior, especially if introduced to it at a young age. Does this excuse the action- NO!!! Why do all my posts have to wait for moderation?
jjose712
I knew this is quite common on teenagers who learns about sex watching porn and they think that’s the normal behaviour, but he is an adult, he should known better
Cam
Please provide any evidence that porn causes teens to behave in such a way.
chris_clb614
His career is headed into the twilight, anyway. The sooner the better, as the #1 overall pick Joe Burrow is instantly a more upstanding citizen compared to Big Ben. The accusation in Georgia should have led to an arrest, it would have happened if he were black.
okiloki
To paint himself as the victim when he is a rapist… that takes a special type of self entitlement. Being accused of multiple rapes is not “just being human” or making a small mistake. There is something wrong with this guy.
Invader7
Typical breeder. Blames everyone but himself !! What a LOSER !!