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 “toxic masculinity.”
According to the New York Post, citing court filings, Ritter claimed Schmidt subjected her to an “absolute digital surveillance system” amid a bitter dispute over money, a failed AI startup, and access to his Bel Air mansion.
Ritter, who was Schmidt’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.
Court filings reveal that in early December, Ritter and Schmidt, whose net worth is estimated at $44.8 billion by Bloomberg, reached a “written settlement agreement.” The deal required Schmidt to make “substantial payments” to Ritter, though the specific details remain sealed.
However, tensions quickly reignited. Just a week after the settlement, on December 11, Ritter filed a “domestic violence restraining order” against Schmidt, only to withdraw it three weeks later on January 6. Court records suggest the two reached another undisclosed agreement shortly after.
In her now-withdrawn TRO request, Ritter accused Schmidt of locking her out of the website of her AI-focused startup, Steel Perlot—a company that reportedly received $100 million from Schmidt himself.
“Please note Eric’s technical background,” Ritter stated in her filing. “I literally cannot have a private phone call or send a private email without surveillance.”
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 “any sexual assault or harassment allegations” and demanded she sign “a knowingly false declaration” denying such claims. Ritter did not provide further details about the alleged incidents in the unredacted sections of her court documents.
Attorneys for both sides have declined to comment publicly. Skip Miller, representing Ritter, refused to make a statement, while Schmidt’s spokesperson likewise offered no response.
On October 8, Schmidt’s legal team issued an 82-page filing denying Ritter’s allegations. “Michelle Ritter’s demonstrably false Complaint is a blatant abuse of the judicial system,” the response read. Most of the document, however, has been redacted ahead of a court hearing scheduled for December 4 in Los Angeles.
Schmidt’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.
Ritter’s original TRO filing painted a disturbing portrait of control and intimidation: “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.”
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 “billionaire’s private security detail” and refused to wake his employer, according to Ritter’s account.
Court filings reveal that Ritter had been residing in Schmidt’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.
A final hearing in the Los Angeles County Superior Court is expected in December.
