Sexual assault lawsuit against ex-NBA star Dwight Howard is DISMISSED 10 months after he was sued for allegedly forcing a man into a threesome in 2021

The civil lawsuit against Dwight Howard for sexual assault and battery against a Georgia man has been dismissed, online records show.

In a lawsuit filed in October, the former NBA star was accused of coercing Stephen Harper into a threesome in July 2021 after the two got into a conversation on social media. Harper also accused Howard of intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment.

Harper agreed to dismiss the lawsuit, meaning he cannot sue Howard again over these allegations.

According to Howard’s attorney Justin Bailey, there is no money involved in this case.

The 38-year-old eight-time All-Star previously denied the allegations through his attorney, who claimed Howard was the victim of an extortion attempt.

“The allegations against Mr. Howard are disputed,” attorney Justin Bailey told ESPN in October. “Mr. Howard intends to tell the truth.

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

Howard himself also denied the allegations and attacked the public interest in the case.

“Mind your own business,” he told his viewers. “They say you date dudes, bro? Why the hell do you or anyone think who the hell I spend my time with? That’s the problem with all of you.

“That’s not for everybody on the Internet,” he continued. “That’s not for blogs. That’s not for websites. I don’t have to tell anybody where I put my wood.

You’re just mad because I didn’t text you [you]. You’re ugly. That’s it. Worrying about the wrong things.

“I don’t have to deny it. I don’t have to talk about all this bullshit. This shit didn’t even happen.”

In an alleged exchange, Howard is seen inviting Harper over to his house

Howard attends the Cavs vs. Magic game during the 2024 NBA Playoffs

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

He also went to police in July 2022 to report an incident, according to ESPN. However, no charges were ever filed.

“This report was prepared after Mr. Harper was blocked on social media and after the initial payment request was rejected,” Bailey told ESPN.

There is a two-year statute of limitations for filing such a civil lawsuit in Georgia, but Harper’s attorney told ESPN at the time that there were mitigating circumstances.

“We had an independent investigation conducted and Mr. Harper had to consider a number of private factors before we were all prepared to proceed with the lawsuit,” Harper’s attorney, Olga Izmaylova, told ESPN in 2023.

Howard has been out of the NBA since 2022. Although he won a league title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, he is best known for his time with the Orlando Magic, for which he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award three times.

Howard is the father of five children with five different women and has been open about his faith since joining the NBA in 2004, straight out of college at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy.

In 2022, he signed to play for the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan, where he was named Most Valuable Import at the end of the 2023 season. He has since signed with the Taiwan Mustangs.