Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was spotted at a baseball game with his rumored girlfriend hours before his car crash in New Hampshire on Saturday.
Giuliani, 81, fractured his vertebrae and had multiple lacerations and contusions after his rental car was hit from behind, according to his spokesman Michael Ragusa.
Lauren Kemp, 19, from Concord, was driving the Honda HR-V that struck the rear end of the 81-year-old former New York City mayor’s Ford Bronco on Saturday night.
Just hours before the crash, the former mayor was captured attending a New Hampshire Fisher Cats minor league baseball game with nurse-practitioner Maria Ryan, 59, reported WMUR.
The two were once believed to be dating after they were spotted at several public events together and Ryan was seen wearing a huge engagement ring in 2023.
However, Ragusa vehemently denied that Giuliani and Ryan are a couple, insisting their relationship is strictly professional.
‘The Mayor and Dr. Ryan share nothing beyond a professional relationship,’ Ragusa told the Daily Mail.
‘Her role is strictly focused on ensuring the Mayor’s health and recovery, drawing on her extensive background in clinical leadership and patient care.
‘Any suggestion to the contrary is both unfounded and misleading. Mayor Giuliani and Dr. Ryan remain committed to transparency and professionalism. At this time, their sole focus is on the Mayor’s continued recovery and his return to work serving the American people.’
Rudy Giuliani, 81, was spotted at a baseball game with his once rumored girlfriend, Maria Ryan, 59, hours before his terrifying car crash on Saturday
The two were captured sitting next to each other and chatting at a New Hampshire Fisher Cats minor league baseball game
Ryan told the New York Post, ‘[Giuliani’s] getting further tests and stabilization of his injuries.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Ryan for comment.
Ragusa has also shut down conspiracy theories that the crash was targeted in any way.
‘This was not a targeted attack,’ he said on X. ‘We ask everyone to respect Mayor Giuliani’s privacy and recovery, and refrain from spreading unfounded conspiracy theories.’
Giuliani will need to wear a neck brace after fracturing his vertebrae and suffering multiple lacerations after his rental car was struck from behind.
The former mayor sustained injuries on his left arm and lower leg. His car was being driven by another spokesman of Giuliani’s, Theodore Goodman.
Prior to the accident, Giuliani had been ‘flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident’ and contacted police assistance on her behalf, Ragusa said.
However, Giuliani’s spokesman vehemently denied that the former mayor and Ryan are a couple, insisting their relationship is strictly professional
Ryan is a nurse-practitioner who was once spotted wearing a gigantic ring on her wedding finger after years of rumors she was dating the former mayor
Giuliani and Ryan have fueled speculation about their relationship for years after regularly being spotted together
After police arrived, Giuliani continued on his way and his vehicle was hit shortly after pulling onto the highway in the crash that was ‘entirely unrelated’ to the domestic violence incident.
Ragusa said Giuliani was transferred to a nearby trauma center, and he is expected to remain in hospital for a few days.
‘Mayor Giuliani is in great spirits following the incident. He is fully alert and conscious, and his medical team is pleased with his progress,’ Ragusa told the Daily Mail.
‘The Mayor is eager to return to his work and looks forward to getting back to business in just a few days.’
The spokesman added: ‘He and his family are grateful for the outpouring of prayers and support, and he asks everyone to continue respecting his privacy as he focuses on recovery.’
New Hampshire State Police said they are investigating the crash, and no charges have been filed.
Giuliani has a political career that spans over four decades in New York City.
He gained fame in the 1980s as a federal prosecutor after he successfully put the top mafia bosses of New York in prison for RICO charges.
Giuliani was struck by 19-year-old Lauren Kemp while reentering his car after calling 911 for a woman dealing with a domestic conflict. Giuliani is pictured in December 2023
A spokesman for Giuliani announced his Saturday night car crash via a statement on X
Giuliani was later elected mayor in 1994 and helped lead the city through the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
After leaving the mayor’s office in 2001, Giuliani became a personal attorney for President Donald Trump during his first term.
He was a vocal proponent of Trump’s allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, won by Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump and his backers lost dozens of lawsuits claiming fraud, and numerous recounts, reviews and audits of the election results turned up no signs of significant wrongdoing or error.
Two former Georgia election workers later won a $148 million defamation judgment against Giuliani.
As they sought to collect the judgment, the former federal prosecutor was found in contempt of court and faced a trial this winter over the ownership of some of his assets.
He ultimately struck a deal that let him keep his homes and various belongings, including prized World Series rings, in exchange for unspecified compensation and a promise to stop speaking ill of the ex-election workers.
