Suit alleges Vikings star Dalvin Cook assaulted woman in 2020
A Texas woman is suing Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, alleging he physically and emotionally abused her during a two-year relationship.
The lawsuit filed in Dakota County, according to the NFL Network, says Cook and Gracelyn Trimble, a U.S. Army sergeant, met on the beach in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2018 and struck up a romantic relationship. She says in the court complaint that the relationship soured after she suspected Cook was seeing someone else.
The court document provided to MPR News by Trimble’s attorney, Daniel Cragg, says Trimble went to Cook's Inver Grove Heights home last November to retrieve her belongings and that Cook attacked her and threatened her with a gun. Trimble also said in the filing that she tried to spray him with mace, but got the chemical in her own eyes.
A statement from Cook's attorney said Trimble broke into Cook's home, using a stolen garage door opener, then maced him, tried to assault him and several guests, and at one point held them hostage at gunpoint. The attorney called the allegations an extortion attempt. Attorney David Valentini said Trimble had a history of violence that included “repeated criminal damage to Mr. Cook’s property.”
Neither side offered any corroborating proof of their allegations, although both said there were other witnesses in the house at the time.
Trimble’s lawsuit also says the police were never called to the incident, but that she later sought medical attention and claimed an off-road vehicle crash caused her injuries, to conceal their real cause. Trimble’s attorney said that Cook’s representatives were inappropriately trying to shift the blame to her.
A statement issued by the Vikings says the team is monitoring the situation and seeking more information.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.