The woman at the centre of the Aaron Smith sex-scandal has given a candid account of her version of events leading up to, and following, last year's Christchurch airport bathroom romp.
To prevent further public embarrassment, Seven Sharp agreed to protect the woman's identity, but she says her reputation has been so badly damaged she's taking legal action against New Zealand Rugby (NZR), the Highlanders and Smith's manager.
The woman at the centre of the sex scandal broke her silence on Seven Sharp – 'I understand he was really desperate'.
"I've been called every name under the sun, a ho, a whore, a cheat myself... and these are people who don't even know me," the woman told Seven Sharp in an exclusive interview.
"I'd received death threats, I'd had people ringing my work."
The woman concerned says she kept quiet to protect Smith's career.
But recent actions from the Highlanders to stop training at the gym she is a member of, and at which Smith and herself first met three years ago and begun their relationship, have infuriated her.
She says gym management told her the Highlanders left the gym over concerns she may target other players of theirs.
'I went from being a wee bit upset about the issue to really angry, really quickly'
She added that Smith also told All Blacks management that she targeted him, which she claims is completely untrue.
"That I may 'target' other players the same way I 'targeted' Aaron and that they felt they weren't comfortable having their players train at the facility in case I was there at the same time," the woman explained.
"From my point of view I see that they're almost implying that what happened between Aaron and myself was unconsensual and I think when we're talking about unconsensual sex or rape it's a really, really serious allegation."
She continued: "I went from being a wee bit upset about the issue to really angry, really quickly... I was just furious.
"In what world that's okay for them to go into a commercial gym and discuss my sex life in a negative way, insinuating that I'm some sort of sexual predator, I just thought it was sick."
Earlier today Highlanders management responded, saying they hadn't spoken to the gym about the woman and hadn't stopped using the gym because of her.
Steamy Christchurch Airport sex romp
Three years later came the infamous Christchurch airport bathroom incident, and she doesn't deny things got steamy.
The woman says Smith noticed she was at the airport and texted her to meet him in the family toilet to have sex.
She says Smith claimed he was single but didn't want teammates' girlfriends to see them together at the airport.
"As soon as I got to the bathroom things did turn sexual," she says.
"I guess, it was bad judgement."
But what she does take issue with is how she was painted in online comments, and outed.
"I was the villain, I was the skank in this situation," she says.
The woman involved has not received money for this interview and says she does not want attention from it - only to set the record straight.
"What I want as I said before is just to clear up these facts, to clear the air," she says.
"If they hate me for telling the truth well so be it."
NZR re-opens Aaron Smith inquiry
Late tonight the NZR announced they've re-opened an investigation into the incident.
"Based on information published today New Zealand Rugby believes that it needs to investigate the Aaron Smith matter further and has instructed an independent lawyer to do so.
"Until those enquiries are complete we will not be making any further statements to the media. It is effectively an employment issue that requires investigation."
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