NRL star Kotoni Staggs breaks his silence over sex tape scandal and reveals how his mum and family reacted - as teenager faces court for sharing footage after he 'rejected her threesome proposal'
- Kotoni Stags has spoken for the first time about embarrassing sex tape scandal
- An intimate video of the star Broncos centre was leaked without his consent
- He said telling his family was the hardest part but they always 'had his back'
NRL star Kotoni Staggs has spoken candidly about the 'embarrassing' sex tape scandal that the rocked the 21-year-old's career earlier this season.
The Brisbane Broncos speedster opened up about the harrowing chapter in his life for the first time in a newspaper article on Wednesday, admitting the ordeal left him 'shattered'.
He revealed the hardest part was telling his tight-knit family.
NRL star Kotoni Staggs (pictured) has spoken candidly about the 'embarrassing' sex tape scandal
McKenzie Lorraine Robinson, 18, (pictured) is accused of leaking the intimate video without his consent and is expected to plead guilty
'I was embarrassed it came out. I didn't want my family to see it, that was the one thing that I was worried about,' he told the Courier Mail.
Although he was nervous and terrified of letting them down, Staggs said they stuck by his side and took the difficult news well.
'They had my back through it all. I was surprised by how well they took it and that made me feel a bit better,' he said.
The code was rocked in August when a sex tape circulated online involving Staggs and a woman.
But a subsequent investigation by the NRL Integrity Unit and Queensland Police found that Staggs had done nothing wrong and was not the one who leaked the raunchy video.
'It wasn't my fault but I was still involved... there's always ups and downs. You learn from your mistakes,' he said.
Despite the embarrassment for the up-and-coming Bronco, Staggs (pictured) was cleared of any wrongdoing by the NRL's integrity unit after the video was released
Robinson (pictured) appeared in will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 16 over the matter
McKenzie Lorraine Robinson will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 16 and has indicated she will plead guilty to one count of distributing a prohibited video recording.
It has been alleged she leaked the video without Stagg's consent after the rugby league star turned down her request for a threesome.
Defence lawyer Jason Jacobson previously insisted the teenager never meant for the video to circulate on social media.
'It was not Ms Robinson that made this private video go public,' he told reporters outside court in September.
'That was never intended by her and she very much regrets that it did and she very much regrets the impact that it caused for Mr Staggs.
'There is an explanation as to how this happened and that will be put to the court at a later date.'
Robinson (pictured) has so far refused to publicly comment on the allegations over the sex tape scandal
Fed up with the alleged constant messaging, Staggs (pictured) reportedly asked the teen to stop contacting him just weeks before the video was released to the public
Ms Robinson, who has been the target of extensive trolling since video circulated, allegedly messaged the star footballer on Instagram and instigated the relationship.
Shortly after they began speaking online, the duo met up and slept together, and Robinson allegedly asked if she could film the sexual encounter.
Staggs alleges Robinson, who describes herself as a 'holistic wellness coach,' repeatedly called and messaged him following their rendezvous.
As time went on she allegedly asked the NRL star if he would have a threesome with her and a friend, according to the publication.
Fed up with the alleged constant messages, Staggs reportedly asked the teen to stop contacting him just weeks before the video was released to the public.
'It wasn't my fault but I was still involved... there's always ups and downs. You learn from your mistakes,' Staggs (pictured) said
Staggs was at the centre of another bizarre this years after a host of victims came forward to police complaining they had been 'catfished' by someone impersonating the footballer on social media.
Police once again cleared Staggs of any wrongdoing.
It was a horror season for the Broncos who finished last for the first time in their history.
Coach Anthony Seibold was sacked toward the end of the year after managing just three wins all season.
To make matters worse for the club, emerging star forward David Fafita announced he would leave Brisbane in 2021 for cross-town rivals the Gold Coast Titans.
Fed up with the a perceived lack of on-field effort from players, their own fans even booed the six-time premiership-winning club off the field on several occasions during the season.
But while the 2020 season will go down as one to forget, Staggs stellar performances were one of few highlights for the Broncos.
He was so good in a losing side that pundits widely tipped the young centre to make his State of Origin debut for the Blues at the end of the coronavirus-interrupted season in November.
But a devastating ACL injury in the Broncos' last-round loss to North Queensland will making him ineligible and see him in recovery for around six to nine months.
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