Former Google CEO’s Ex-Girlfriend Accuses Him Of Abuse, Stalking And Digital Surveillance: Report

<p>Eric Schmidt, the billionaire former CEO of Google, is facing explosive allegations from his 31-year-old former partner, Michelle Ritter, who has accused him of stalking, abuse, and &ldquo;toxic masculinity.&rdquo;</p>
<p>According to the New York Post, citing court filings, Ritter claimed Schmidt subjected her to an &ldquo;absolute digital surveillance system&rdquo; amid a bitter dispute over money, a failed AI startup, and access to his Bel Air mansion.</p>
<p>Ritter, who was Schmidt&rsquo;s most recent extramarital partner, once had a close relationship with the 70-year-old tech magnate, who has long been said to maintain an open marriage with Wendy Schmidt, his wife of 45 years. According to court documents, Ritter filed a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Schmidt late last year.</p>
<p>Court filings reveal that in early December, Ritter and Schmidt, whose net worth is estimated at $44.8 billion by Bloomberg, reached a &ldquo;written settlement agreement.&rdquo; The deal required Schmidt to make &ldquo;substantial payments&rdquo; to Ritter, though the specific details remain sealed.</p>
<p>However, tensions quickly reignited. Just a week after the settlement, on December 11, Ritter filed a &ldquo;domestic violence restraining order&rdquo; against Schmidt, only to withdraw it three weeks later on January 6. Court records suggest the two reached another undisclosed agreement shortly after.</p>
<h3>Allegations Of Surveillance And Control</h3>
<p>In her now-withdrawn TRO request, Ritter accused Schmidt of locking her out of the website of her AI-focused startup, Steel Perlot&mdash;a company that reportedly received $100 million from Schmidt himself.</p>
<p>&ldquo;Please note Eric&rsquo;s technical background,&rdquo; Ritter stated in her filing. &ldquo;I literally cannot have a private phone call or send a private email without surveillance.&rdquo;</p>
<p>As per the report, the tech entrepreneur, nearly four decades younger than Schmidt, also alleged that he attempted to force her into signing a gag order covering &ldquo;any sexual assault or harassment allegations&rdquo; and demanded she sign &ldquo;a knowingly false declaration&rdquo; denying such claims. Ritter did not provide further details about the alleged incidents in the unredacted sections of her court documents.</p>
<p>Attorneys for both sides have declined to comment publicly. Skip Miller, representing Ritter, refused to make a statement, while Schmidt&rsquo;s spokesperson likewise offered no response.</p>
<h3>Legal Battle Intensifies</h3>
<p>On October 8, Schmidt&rsquo;s legal team issued an 82-page filing denying Ritter&rsquo;s allegations. &ldquo;Michelle Ritter&rsquo;s demonstrably false Complaint is a blatant abuse of the judicial system,&rdquo; the response read. Most of the document, however, has been redacted ahead of a court hearing scheduled for December 4 in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Schmidt&rsquo;s defence is being led by high-profile attorney Patricia Glaser, who filed a motion to keep the case sealed. A final decision on whether to make the filings public is still pending.</p>
<p>Ritter&rsquo;s original TRO filing painted a disturbing portrait of control and intimidation: &ldquo;Unfortunately, my former partner is extraordinarily powerful and capable and has used every mean[s] to block me from getting access to secure data, devices, finances, or businesses, or to simply live my life in peace.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Adding to the tension, the filing claims that just two days before Ritter sought the TRO, her parents were followed by private investigators after dining at a Los Angeles restaurant. When police confronted the operatives, one allegedly told officers he was part of a &ldquo;billionaire&rsquo;s private security detail&rdquo; and refused to wake his employer, according to Ritter&rsquo;s account.</p>
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<p data-start=”0″ data-end=”269″ data-is-last-node=”” data-is-only-node=””>Court filings reveal that Ritter had been residing in Schmidt&rsquo;s sprawling 15,000-square-foot Bel Air mansion, which he bought for $61 million from the Hilton family. In her petition, she sought sole access to the residence and protection for her German Shepherd, Henry.</p>
<p>A final hearing in the Los Angeles County Superior Court is expected in December.</p>
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