Discover the latest developments in Dwight Howard’s legal battle as shocking revelations emerge. Dive into the courtroom drama that’s making headlines.
Dwight Howard, the former NBA luminary, has vehemently refuted allegations of sexual misconduct, battery, and false imprisonment that were leveled against him back in July. He has taken legal action, seeking the dismissal of a civil lawsuit currently pending against him in Georgia.
According to court documents accessed by The Guardian, Howard asserted that the encounter in question, which occurred in July 2021 at his Suwanee residence in Atlanta, involved “consensual sexual activity” with a male individual. The former No. 1 overall draft pick vehemently denied causing any harm to the plaintiff and further contested the allegations of “intentional infliction of emotional distress” and false imprisonment.
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In this legal wrangle, the 37-year-old Howard, who most recently showcased his basketball skills with Taiwan’s Taoyuan Leopards, was responding to a complaint made in July. The plaintiff alleged that Howard initiated contact via Instagram direct messages, ultimately leading to an in-person meeting at Howard’s residence, where the alleged sexual assault took place.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Olga Izmaylova, expressed that her client did not provide consent for the sexual encounter and anticipated Howard raising the issue of consent in his response.
On the other side of the legal battlefield, Howard’s legal representatives countered by accusing the plaintiff of attempting to extort the basketball star in exchange for silence. They contended that what started as a private, consensual encounter had been thrust into the public eye for financial gain. Justin Bailey, one of Howard’s attorneys, underscored that the allegations against Howard were vigorously contested and that Howard aimed to reveal the truth through the legal process.
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Furthermore, the original complaint included screenshots of alleged Instagram conversations between the plaintiff and Howard from 2021. It wasn’t until a year later that the plaintiff approached the police, as indicated by a July 2022 incident report from the Gwinnett County Police Department, which revealed no charges were filed. Bailey highlighted that this report coincided with the plaintiff being blocked on social media and after an initial demand for payment was rebuffed.
Dwight Howard, an NBA stalwart who graced the league for nearly two decades, boasts an impressive array of accolades, including eight All-Star selections, eight All-NBA Team distinctions, five All-Defensive Team memberships, and three Defensive Player of the Year awards. Additionally, he contributed to Team USA’s Olympic gold medal victory in 2008.