Dimitri Payet’s former lover has reportedly accused him of subjecting her to 12 hours of ‘psychological torture’.
The former West Ham United midfielder, now 38, is set to go on trial in Brazil over the claims made by his former mistress Larissa Natalya Ferrari, according to reports published back in July.
Ferrari alleged that she was forced to drink her own urine and lick the floor during an affair lasting seven months, with Payet later charged with ‘psychological violence’.
However more details have now emerged about the pair’s relationship in a report by The Sun which airs claims by Ferrari that Payet used his power and status to ‘trap’ her in an abusive relationship.
The Brazilian lawyer, who revealed she first met the footballer via Instagram in August 2023, says that Payet made her perform degrading acts and used ‘punishments’ to control her every move.
She alleges that the Frenchman described her as ‘worthless’ because he had slept with hundreds of other women, despite having a wife and four children. It’s thought that during his two years playing for Vasco de Gama in Rio de Janeiro, Payet was living away from his family, who stayed in France.
Dimitri Payet’s former lover has reportedly accused him of subjecting her to 12 hours of ‘psychological torture’
Larissa Ferrari, 29, alleged that she was forced to drink her own urine and lick the floor during an affair lasting seven months, with Payet later charged with ‘psychological violence’
The Sun’s report adds that Ferrari said her relationship with the ex-Marseille man turned into a ‘macabre game’ after initially seeming ‘sweet’.
The 29-year-old said the worst event she was subjected to occurred in January last year, when she felt forced to perform ‘degrading’ acts on camera.
Payet, and his lawyers, strongly deny all of the allegations against him.
Ferrari’s case, understood to have been lodged in April, was initially dismissed by prosecutors in Brazil before Payet was indicted on an appeal.
At the time, the 38-year-old’s defence lawyer Sheila Lustoza reportedly said she disagreed with the decision, but respects it and stressed it was a natural part of the process.
‘From this point onwards, however, the defence will be granted the right to present its version of the facts with all the evidence gathered so far,’ a statement read.
Ferrari’s lawyers said they welcomed the decision by the city’s Domestic Violence Court in accepting the complaint.
‘We received the recent decision with confidence in the institutions responsible for investigating the facts and holding the person under investigation accountable, recognising it as an important step forward in the search for the truth and reparation for the damages suffered by the victim.
The lawyer revealed her she had a seven-month affair with Payet in March
Payet, who enjoyed a hugely impressive period at West Ham, strongly denies the allegations
The 38-year-old was understood to have been living away from his wife Ludavine (pictured) and their four children while in Brazil
‘The Judiciary’s position reaffirms the authorities’ commitment to the seriousness of the events and their firm determination to curb practices that violate women’s dignity, regardless of the social position or public visibility of the person under investigation.
‘We reiterate our commitment to remain firm in the uncompromising defense of our client’s rights, certain that justice will prevail.’
Payet is alleged to have admitted that he and Ferrari performed ‘bizarre sexual acts’, as she reportedly described them, but insists that they were consensual.
He is widely regarded as one of West Ham’s most talented players this century but left under a cloud to re-join Marseille after just 18 months in 2017. He stayed at the Stade Velodrome for six-and-a-half years before moving to Brazil in 2023.
In March, Larissa revealed that they had had a seven-month affair.
She wrote in a lengthy statement: ‘One thing I want to make clear is that it was never about money. There was no need for it.
‘There’s not much I can say because there’s no explanation or anything to justify it.
‘But one thing I want to make extremely clear is that it was never for money, not before, not now. In fact, the last time I went to Rio, I went by bus.’
Larissa, who is a mother of two, also claimed that she only got physically involved with the midfielder following her divorce from her ex-husband.
