The world’s most controversial female athlete

-Agencies Hope Solo, US women’s goalkeeper, is the most controversial female athlete in the world HOPE Solo has embraced the spotlight during her storied soccer career, but she can’t be enjoying the headlines she’s been making lately. First were the revelations she’s been charged with assaulting two members of her family — at a time when the topic of domestic violence couldn’t be more relevant in the US. Then the 33-year-old goalkeeper became one of the latest celebrities to fall victim to the photo hacking scandal, with naked photos of her appearing on various social media sites on September 20. But it’s the assault charges which have led some to call for Solo’s immediate removal from the US women’s team. According to police and court documents covered by the Seattle Times, Solo was drinking at her sister’s house in late June when she started arguing with her 17-year-old nephew. The nephew told police the beef became physical and Solo punched him in the face, before also turning on her sister when she tried to intervene. It’s led some to compare her situation to those of NFL players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, who have been stood down by their teams while dealing with their own assault cases. So far US Soccer, the US Olympic Committee and Solo’s personal sponsor, Nike, are standing by her. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Her attorney, Todd Maybrown, painted Solo as the victim, saying she was hit over the head with a broom during the scuffle. “Hope is not guilty of any crime,” Maybrown told the Associated Press. “In fact, our investigation reveals that Hope was assaulted and injured during this unfortunate incident.” Solo and her family have always been media fodder. Her father spent time in jail for kidnapping Solo and her brother when they were children, and later wound up living on the streets. In November 2012, Solo’s husband — former NFL player Jerramy Stevens — was arrested for allegedly assaulting her. Then there were the claims in Solo’s best-selling autobiography that her partner on the television show Dancing with the Stars slapped her during filming. Hope Solo slap claim