David Villa was touching me every f***ing day: Ex-MLS intern details sexual harassment, says changing entire career

In a series of tweets, a former intern at Major League Soccer (MLS) side NYCFC, Skyler Badillo, said that Spanish record goalscorer David Villa repeatedly harassed her during his time in the US. She also added that club bosses failed to act when made aware of the situation.

The Athletic published a wide-ranging interview with Badillo in which she alleged multiple instances of sexual harassment against the 38-year-old. 

Badillo even claimed that NYCFC were aware of her complaints but failed to address the issue in any meaningful way. 

Badillo first referenced her allegations on Twitter in July and wrote that the repeated incidents had left her unsure of pursuing her career in professional sports.

"The harassment I went through at NYCFC was so bad that now the idea of professional sports terrifies me," she wrote

"Staying in the field of athletics terrifies me. I’m changing my entire career because the sh*t they did to me ruined my dreams. I thought I was getting the opportunity of a lifetime when I got that internship.

"What I got was David Villa touching me every f*cking day and my bosses thought it was great comedic material. Women brave enough to tell their stories this loudly are my heroes. Someday.

"I still find it hilarious that I was constantly told I had a terrible attitude at that job like I wasn’t showing up every day knowing I was gonna be groped or mocked or two hands shoved in the back. Of f*cking course I had a bad attitude!"

I thought I was getting the opportunity of a life time when I got that internship. What I got was David Villa touching me every fucking day and my bosses thinking it was great comedic material. Women brave enough to tell their stories this loudly are my heroes. Someday.

— Skyler B (@ItsmeskylerB) July 17, 2020

Badillo also added that the "vast majority" of club employees were respectful but not Villa. "He started telling me that he loved me that week," says Badillo. 

"That would end up being a constant. He would say it to other people, that he loved me. If I was walking out of the room, he'd yell it. If Melvyn [Pamplona, assistant trainer] was standing there he'd tell Melvyn that he loved me."

Badillo further described to The Athletic about coming clean about the emotional stress she underwent in her two years with NYCFC. "It was a miserable two years there, and a miserable few months now spent talking about it," Badillo said. 

"I don’t expect it to get better when this is published. There’s not a ton to gain here for me, but I think a lot about how lonely it was to be in that position while I was there.

"So if me sticking my neck out and telling my story helps one other person who was harassed by him, or at the club - or anywhere - feel even the slightest bit less alone, then it will have been worth it."

As for Villa, he "strongly" rejected the allegations. He too took to social media and wrote that Badillo's claims are "totally false", but the club nonetheless announced an internal review into the reported incidents.

Earlier this month, NYCFC stated that "a small number of players and staff" did not act in accordance with the club’s standards in their interactions with the intern and with other club staff.

"This behaviour included unnecessary physical contact, teasing, and comments regarding clothing and appearance. The club found that this behaviour was inappropriate and unacceptable."