Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso denies Luis Rubiales kiss was consensual

Jennifer Hermoso slammed the idea that she was a mutual participant in the infamous kiss from Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales moments after Spain won the Women’s World Cup.

Hermoso accused Rubiales of fabricating her words and intent.

“I want to clarify that, as seen in the images, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and, of course, in no case did I try to lift the president,” Hermoso said in a statement, according to BR football.

“I do not tolerate my word being doubted, much less making up words I have not said”

In a letter written in Spanish on Friday, 55 players on Spain’s women’s national team signed a petition threatening not to partake in competition until Rubiales is gone, saying that they “want to express their firm and resounding condemnation of behaviors that have violated the dignity of women.”

Earlier Friday, a defiant Rubiales declined to resign his post and claimed that Hermoso had lifted him up and verbally consented to the kiss.

“My desire in that moment was exactly the same as if I’d have been kissing one of my daughters,” Rubiales claimed, according to ESPN. “No more or less. Everybody understands that. It was a spontaneous kiss, mutual, euphoric and consensual. 

“… In the moment that Jenni arrived, she lifted me up off the ground. We almost fell over. We hugged. I said ‘Forget about the penalty, you’ve been fantastic, we wouldn’t have won the World Cup without you.’ She said: ‘You’re great.’ I said ‘A kiss?’ and she said: ‘Yes.’ … Justice isn’t being done here. This is a social assassination of me, they’re trying to kill me.”