Ex-NBA star Dwight Howard DENIES he sexually assaulted a man at his Georgia home in 2021, as his lawyer responds to a civil lawsuit by claiming the encounter was ‘consensual’

Former NBA center Dwight Howard denies sexually assaulting a man in his Georgia hometown in 2021, instead claiming the two had a consensual encounter.

“What was a private consensual encounter was made public for profit and Mr. Howard looks forward to bringing the truth to light in a court of law,” Howard’s attorney, Justin Bailey, said ESPN.

Howard, who now plays in Taiwan, is being sued in his home state of Georgia by a man named Stephen Harper, who claims he was sexually assaulted by the former NBA All-Star in July 2021. The two are said to have started talking via Instagram. direct messenger two months earlier, which led to them meeting in person, according to a lawsuit filed by Harper’s attorney and provided to Mail Sport.

In his complaint, Harper claims he was forced to participate in a threesome against his will while being “pinned down and forced to remain in place” by the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Howard.

Harper’s lawsuit also includes allegations of intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment against Howard.

Howard’s lawyer claims the former NBA star is the victim of an extortion attempt.

“The allegations against Mr. Howard are disputed,” Bailey told ESPN. ‘Mr. Howard plans to present the truth.

“The truth is that Mr. Howard blocked Mr. Harper on social media and was then faced with two options: pay to protect his reputation or make a fabricated story public. Despite being an easy target due to the subject matter and his celebrity status, Mr. Howard chose to trust the legal system and will rely on any future lawsuits to speak for themselves.”

Harper shared screenshots in the lawsuit of alleged Instagram exchanges with Howard, as well as an Uber receipt for the NBA star’s home on the night of the alleged encounter.

According to ESPN, he also went to the police to file a report in July 2022. However, no charges were ever filed.

“This notification was made after Mr. Harper was blocked on social media and after the initial request for payment was denied,” Bailey told ESPN.

Georgia has a two-year statute of limitations for filing such a civil lawsuit, but Harper’s attorney told ESPN she believes there are extenuating circumstances.

Dwight Howard of the Taoyuan Leopards warms up ahead of the T1 League match in February

“We had to conduct an independent investigation and Mr. Harper had to take into account some private factors before we all felt ready to proceed with the lawsuit,” Harper’s attorney, Olga, Izmaylova told ESPN.

Howard, 37, has been out of the NBA since 2022. Although he won a national title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, he is best remembered for his stint with the Orlando Magic, for whom he won the NBA Defensive Player award three times. of the Year award.

Howard is the father of five children from five different women and has been outspoken about his faith since joining the NBA straight from Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy in 2004.

Most recently, he signed to play for the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan, where he was named Most Valuable Import at the end of the 2023 season.