Dwight Howard, a former NBA center currently playing in the Taiwanese pro basketball league, has refuted allegations of sexual assault and battery arising from a July 2021 incident at his Georgia residence involving a man named Stephen Harper.
The denial comes in response to details outlined in a civil lawsuit obtained by The Post. Howard’s attorney expressed that his client is eager to bring forth the actual facts and defend his position in court.
“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,” an attorney for Howard, Justin Bailey, told ESPN. “The allegations against Mr. Howard are contested. Mr. Howard intends to present the truth.
“The truth is Mr. Howard blocked Mr. Harper on social media and then was confronted with two options – pay to protect his reputation or have a fabricated story made public.
“Despite being an easy target due to the subject matter and his status as a celebrity, Mr. Howard chose to trust in the justice system and will rely on all future court filings to speak for themselves.”
According to court documents, Dwight Howard acknowledges consensual activity with Stephen Harper but denies causing him any harm during their encounter at Howard’s home in July 2021.
The initiation of communication between the two was highlighted in Harper’s lawyers’ initial filing, revealing contact through Instagram direct messages in May 2021.
Howard also refutes claims of intentional emotional distress and false imprisonment as alleged in the civil lawsuit.
Dwight Howard accused of sexual assault by man in lawsuit https://t.co/FJE72H9vtT pic.twitter.com/HStkNrqswS
— New York Post (@nypost) October 25, 2023
