One of football’s most powerful agents, Jonathan Barnett, who has represented stars like Gareth Bale and Jack Grealish, is facing deeply disturbing allegations in a US civil case.
A woman identified only as Jane Doe has accused him of years of abuse, trafficking, and violent threats—claims Barnett strongly denies.
The Threat Allegation Outside His Home
Court documents, reported by The Telegraph, describe an incident in December 2021 when Jane Doe allegedly tried to confront Barnett at his London home.
According to her account, she arrived with a bag of objects he had previously used to abuse her, intending to leave them at his doorstep.
Spotting one of CAA Stellar’s drivers outside, she reportedly told him, “I don’t know about you, but he has me trapped as a slave.”
She then handed him the bag and said, “This is for Jonathan Barnett.”
Moments later, Barnett is accused of approaching her car, leaning in, and threatening, “I will smash your face in and break your legs if you ever speak of this again. Don’t think you’ll be safe if you go home.”
Claims of Abuse and Control
The allegations, first detailed in a civil complaint filed in California, claim that Barnett trafficked Jane Doe from Australia in 2017, lured her with promises of a job, and then subjected her to degrading and violent treatment.
According to the filing, Barnett allegedly raped her dozens of times, demanded she call him “Master,” and threatened to kill her and harm her children if she spoke out.
She claims he forced her into humiliating acts, including drinking urine, licking toilet seats, and filming her injuries for him after beatings.
“Slave Hunting” and Football Comparisons
One of the most disturbing parts of the complaint is the accusation that Barnett encouraged Jane Doe to “hunt for more slaves,” likening the process to football scouting.
She says he pressured her to recruit other women and treated the process as if it were a “game like football.”
The documents also allege that Barnett humiliated her further by forcing her to act like an animal, crawling on the floor while he rode on her back and whipped her, often leaving her injured and bleeding.
The Recruitment Allegation
The lawsuit claims Barnett first reconnected with Jane Doe through LinkedIn in 2017 after meeting her years earlier.
He allegedly invited her to lunch at a private Mayfair restaurant, telling her, “I am Stellar, you should come and work for me.”
She says he offered her a salary, visa support for her and her children, and covered her relocation to London.
Once she arrived, however, she claims he used “debt bondage” and intimidation to control her life.
Institutional Abuse Allegations
Jane Doe’s lawyers argue that Barnett did not act alone but was enabled by staff, accountants, and associates at CAA Stellar, the agency he founded.
She says she feared his employees, who had access to her leases, finances, and even her children, making her feel trapped and powerless.
Her attorneys have described the case as an example of “institutional abuse at the highest level,” pointing to contradictions between CAA’s public anti-slavery statements and the alleged actions described in court.
Barnett’s Response
Barnett has issued a firm denial. In a statement released in July, he said: “The claims made in today’s complaint against me have no basis in reality and are untrue.
We will vigorously defend this lawsuit through the appropriate legal process. I am looking forward to being entirely vindicated and exonerated.”
His agency, CAA Stellar Sports, along with parent company Creative Artists Agency, are also preparing to contest the case as co-defendants.
What Comes Next
The civil case continues in the United States, with Barnett, now retired from agency work, facing a long legal battle to clear his name.
Meanwhile, Jane Doe’s legal team says they intend to hold both Barnett and his company accountable, raising broader questions about power, exploitation, and oversight within elite sports management.