Lawsuit Against Former NBA Player Dwight Howard Over Alleged Sexual Assault Dismissed

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVAugust 22, 2024

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Former NBA player Dwight Howard is no longer facing a civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault and battery.

ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported Wednesday that the lawsuit was dismissed in a Georgia county court on Monday. Stephen Harper filed the dismissal and was also the one who filed the initial lawsuit against the former NBA player in July 2023.

Holmes explained that Harper cannot refile a lawsuit based on the same claims in the future because he dismissed them all with prejudice on Monday.

In the initial 2023 complaint, Harper accused Howard of sexual assault, false imprisonment and “intentional infliction of emotional distress” stemming from a July 2021 encounter at Howard’s residence.

Howard responded in an October filing saying they engaged in “consensual sexual activity.”

He also asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit without trial in a December filing that said the allegations were baseless, although he was denied that request. Howard’s lawyers wrote in that filing, “this is nothing more than a classic case of unrequited love. After one consensual evening together, Mr. Howard was no longer interested in keeping Mr. Harper’s company.”

While no criminal charges were filed, Harper went to police a year after the 2021 encounter. It led to an incident report from the Gwinnett County Police Department in Georgia.

As for Monday’s dismissal, one of Howard’s attorneys said there was no money paid to Harper in exchange for dropping the lawsuit.

Howard played in the NBA from the 2004-05 season through the 2021-22 one for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.

He last appeared in a game in April 2022 for the Lakers and has since played overseas.