Adult film star Stormy Daniels testified at former president Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York on Tuesday, and to many people's surprise, she brought up former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's name during her testimony.
Daniels has spoken about her contact with Roethlisberger before. She detailed that she spoke to the quarterback days after her alleged sexual encounter with Trump, as the three ended up at a nightclub together.
Here's what to know about Daniels mentioning Roethlisberger during Trump's trial.
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Ben Roethlisberger-Stormy Daniels encounter, explained
Daniels testified that she met Roethlisberger in 2006, the day after her alleged sexual encounter with Trump.
Daniels saw Trump and Roethlisberger at a club in the VIP section of a golf course that was located at her hotel. The two were chatting, and Daniels eventually spoke to both. Roethlisberger let her try on his Super Bowl 40 ring during the encounter.
"I remember it clearly because … two of my fingers fit into it," she said, per CBS News.
Trump eventually left the club but not before asking Roethlisberger to walk Daniels to her room. Roethlisberger obliged and asked Daniels for a "good night kiss" when they arrived at her room, as she detailed in her 2018 book "Full Disclosure."
“I was terrified," Daniels wrote, per CNN. "I am rarely terrified."
Roethlisberger responded by saying, "Come on," according to Daniels. He also lightly pushed on her door and knocked on it a few times before eventually leaving.
Daniels' lawyer said there would be no further comment about Roethlisberger beyond this detailed encounter. The former Steelers quarterback declined to comment on the matter when the account first was made public in 2018.
Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault in two separate cases in 2009 and 2010. He eventually settled the 2009 case and was not charged in the 2010 case, but the incidents resulted in the NFL suspending him for the first six games of the 2010 season.
Who is Ben Roethlisberger's wife?
Roethlisberger's wife is Ashley Harlan. The two met through Harlan's brother, a Steelers fan who ran into Roethlisberger while the quarterback was walking through part of the Saint Vincent campus after an August 2005 practice, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
From there, the two were introduced and remained together long-term.
"We were kind of on and off for five years — almost six years now — so I've known her for a while," Roethlisberger said. "It's not like a random new person. We dated a while ago; we have been friends ever since."
Roethlisberger and Harlan, a physician's assistant, remain together to this day and have three children together — two boys and one girl.
MORE: Breaking down Ben Roethlisberger's Hall of Fame chances
When did Ben Roethlisberger get married?
Roethlisberger and Harlan were married in July 2011. They dated for six years and were 29 (Roethlisberger) and 27 (Harlan), respectively, before tying the knot.
When did Ben Roethlisberger retire?
Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 NFL season. He played 18 NFL seasons, all with the Steelers, and won two Super Bowls during his career.
Roethlisberger made six Pro Bowls and was the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2004 after winning each of his first 13 regular-season starts.
Ben Roethlisberger stats
Roethlisberger posted a career record of 165-81-1 in the regular season and had a mark of 13-10 in the playoffs. He ranked fifth in career passing yards with 64,088 at the time of his retirement and led the NFL in passing yards twice, including a 5,129-yard season in 2018.
Below is a look at Roethlisberger's career stats:
| Stat | Total |
| Record | 165-81-1 |
| Comp. % | 64.4 |
| Passing yards | 64,088 |
| Pass TDs | 418 |
| INTs | 211 |
| Yards/attempt | 7.6 |
| Passer rating | 93.5 |
Roethlisberger's strong career numbers and two Super Bowl wins should be enough to get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The only question is whether the off-the-field issues and sexual assault allegations from early in his career will cause voters to shy away from him during his first years on the ballot.
