A civil lawsuit towards former NBA participant Dwight Howard alleging sexual assault and battery has been dropped, based on a courtroom submitting obtained by ESPN.
The dismissal got here Monday in Gwinnett County Courtroom in Georgia and was filed by Stephen Harper, who initially filed the lawsuit towards Howard in July 2023.
In Monday’s submitting, Harper dismissed all of the claims he had asserted towards Howard with prejudice. In authorized phrases, this implies he can’t refile a lawsuit on these claims.
Justin Bailey, one among Howard’s attorneys, advised ESPN’s Baxter Holmes that no cash was paid to Harper in change for him dropping the swimsuit towards Howard.
Stephen Harper accused Dwight Howard of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and “intentional infliction of emotional misery”
Within the preliminary 2023 grievance, Harper accused Howard of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and “intentional infliction of emotional misery” stemming from a July 2021 encounter at Howard’s residence.
Harper accused Howard of sexually assaulting him on the ex-NBA participant’s Georgia residence. Howard denied these allegations and mentioned in an October submitting that he and Harper engaged in “consensual sexual exercise.”
Howard subsequently argued in a December submitting that the accusations towards him had been baseless. He then requested the courtroom to right away rule in his favor and dismiss the lawsuit with out a trial.
NEWS: Sexual assault lawsuit towards Dwight Howard dropped https://t.co/ww98AThhga
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) August 21, 2024
Nevertheless, a choose denied that request in February. Within the authentic grievance, Harper’s attorneys mentioned he and Howard first started speaking through direct messages on Instagram in Might 2021. Harper initiated the change, based on courtroom papers.
Harper’s grievance confirmed screenshots of the alleged Instagram exchanges between Harper and Howard. Additionally introduced was an Uber receipt for Harper’s journey to Howard’s residence on the evening of the encounter.
No costs had been filed after Harper contacted the Gwinnett County Police Division in July 2022
Harper contacted the police a yr later, based on a July 2022 incident report from the Gwinnett County Police Division. However no costs had been filed, per Holmes.
Dwight Howard argued then that the “case had been made public for revenue.”
“That is nothing greater than a basic case of unrequited love,” Howard’s attorneys wrote within the December submitting obtained by ESPN. “After one consensual night collectively, Mr. Howard was not concerned about conserving Mr. Harper’s firm.”
Harper’s attorneys wrote in a January response that the swimsuit had “nothing to do with unrequited love.” In addition they requested the choose to see previous Howard’s efforts “to flee the implications of his actions.” His attorneys wished the chance for Harper to show his claims to a jury.
Howard, who turns 39 in December, final performed within the NBA within the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. As a 6-foot-10 middle, he earned eight All-Star alternatives and received three NBA Defensive Participant of the Yr awards.
In 1,242 profession NBA regular-season video games (1,078 begins) throughout 18 seasons, he averaged 15.7 factors, 11.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 31.8 minutes per contest whereas capturing 58.7% from the sphere and 56.7% on the free throw line.
