Famed soccer star Hope Solo will appear in court Monday after police say she assaulted two relatives at a home near Seattle.
Solo, goalie for the Seattle Reign and a former Olympian, is being held without bail in the south King County jail on domestic violence assault charges, according to a statement from the Kirkland Police Department.
Police said Solo, 32, allegedly assaulted her sister and a 17-year-old nephew early Saturday. Officers responded to a 911 call in which a male reported that a woman would not stop “hitting people” or leave the house, the statement said.
At the home, officers heard a disturbance. Inside, Solo appeared “intoxicated and upset,” police said.
Police said Solo’s nephew and sister had visible injuries. After interviewing witnesses, police determined that Solo was the “primary aggressor and had instigated the assault,” the statement said.
CNN was unable to get in touch with Solo’s attorney.
Her soccer team acknowledged the incident Saturday, tweeting, “We are aware of the situation with Hope and are now gathering information.”
No stranger to controversy
Solo played on two gold-medal-winning Olympic women’s teams and appeared on TV’s “Dancing with the Stars.”
A world-class goalkeeper, she is no stranger to controversy.
In 2012, Hope sent out a harsh tweet criticizing Olympic soccer commentator Brandi Chastain for her negative commentary during the 2012 London games. After the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Solo openly criticized U.S. women’s soccer coach Greg Ryan.
In an interview with CNN two years ago, Solo spoke about her public image.
“I have a bad rap,” she said. “People look at me as selfish, outspoken. But I know who I am.”
A warning and an elimination
The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency in 2012 publicly warned Solo after she tested positive for a banned diuretic — a substance she claimed she didn’t know was in premenstrual medication prescribed by her physician. The agency accepted Solo’s explanation and she competed in the 2012 Olympics.
“I don’t expect any of the media to be positive,” Solo told CNN in 2012. “But I know that I’m doing wonderful things for the sport of soccer, and I know I’m doing amazing things for female athletes. So I can take it.”
Solo was eliminated from “Dancing with the Stars” in 2011 following a run on the show marred by frequent disputes with pro partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy and the judging panel. Later that year, she appeared nude on one of four covers of ESPN’s “The Body Issue.”
A native of Richland, Washington, Solo in 2005 became starting goalkeeper for the U.S. Olympic Team. She started seven matches and earned seven shutouts that year, according to her Facebook page.
