A civil lawsuit accusing Dwight Howard of sexual assault and battery has been dismissed with prejudice, preventing the plaintiff from refiling the claims.
Bollywood Fever: A civil lawsuit against former NBA star Dwight Howard, which alleged sexual assault and battery, has been dismissed, according to court documents obtained by ESPN.Â
The case was dismissed on Monday in Gwinnett County Court in Georgia, as filed by the plaintiff, Stephen Harper, who initially brought the lawsuit against Howard in July 2023.
The dismissal was filed with prejudice, meaning Harper cannot refile the lawsuit on the same claims.
Justin Bailey, one of Howard’s attorneys, confirmed to ESPN that no money was paid to Harper in exchange for dropping the suit.
The lawsuit stemmed from a July 2021 encounter at Howard’s Georgia residence, during which Harper accused Howard of sexually assaulting him.
Harper’s complaint also included claims of “intentional infliction of emotional distress” and false imprisonment.
Howard denied the allegations, asserting in an October filing that he and Harper engaged in “consensual sexual activity.”
In December, Howard’s legal team argued that the accusations were baseless and requested the court to dismiss the lawsuit without a trial, but a judge denied that request in February.
According to the original complaint, Harper and Howard first connected through direct messages on Instagram in May 2021, with Harper initiating the conversation.
The complaint included screenshots of their alleged Instagram exchanges and an Uber receipt for Harper’s trip to Howard’s residence on the night of the incident.
Harper reported the encounter to the police a year later, as noted in a July 2022 incident report from the Gwinnett County Police Department, but no charges were filed.
This is nothing more than a classic case of unrequited love,” Howard’s lawyers stated in the December filing, asserting that after a consensual evening, Howard was no longer interested in continuing a relationship with Harper.
In response, Harper’s lawyers contended that the case was “nothing to do with unrequited love” and urged the judge to allow Harper to present his claims to a jury, arguing that Howard was attempting to “escape the consequences of his actions.
Dwight Howard, 38, last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is an eight-time All-Star and a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
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