Former US women’s national team coach Jill Ellis has taken legal action against a former San Diego Wave FC employee, accusing her of defamation after she made claims about Ellis fostering an “abusive environment” as president of the NWSL team.
Brittany Alvarado, a videographer for the Wave, made the allegations against Ellis on social media while announcing her resignation earlier this month.
In her statement, Alvarado also called for NWSL officials to remove Ellis from her position at the Wave and the league entirely, alleging that she had “compromised countless lives to advance her narcissistic personal agenda.”
The Wave swiftly rejected Alvarado’s allegations, and now Ellis is suing her for defamation.
San Diego Wave president Jill Ellis (pictured) has filed a defamation lawsuit against a former employee who accused her of fostering an ‘abusive environment’
In the lawsuit, Ellis claims that Alvarado’s allegations are “outrageous and completely false” as well as defamatory.
Ellis’ attorneys accuse Alvarado of relying on a “fake email” that allegedly showed messages of abuse from the Wave’s Head of Marketing and PR, Justyne Freud.
Ellis is accustomed to receiving criticism for her coaching decisions, but she expects constructive critiques, not malicious and false lies targeted at ruining her personal and professional reputation.
Brittany Alvarado (pictured), who worked as a videographer for the Wave, made the bombshell claims against Ellis while announcing her resignation
She said the USWNT icon has been the driving force behind the team’s rampant turnover
But Ellis, who won two World Cups as USWNT coach, has sued Alvarado for defamation
Ellis is seeking damages and an order to prevent Alvarado from continuing to publish her original statement.
Alvarado claimed that Ellis has been the driving force behind the team’s rampant turnover since its inaugural 2021 season, with over 30 employees being fired or quitting, and nearly 75% of them being women.
Wave captain and USWNT star Alex Morgan also posted a statement regarding the allegations, saying she is disappointed to hear about them and advocating for equity in the workplace.
Wave captain and USWNT star Alex Morgan posted a statement regarding the bombshell allegations made against Ellis
Ellis has spent the last two years as president of the Wave, an expansion NWSL team formed in 2021.
During her time with the US women’s national team, she won consecutive World Cups in 2015 and 2019.