Former NBA superstar Dwight Howard is under fire after a man filed a lawsuit claiming that Howard sexually assaulted him at his home in suburban Atlanta.
Howard, 37, who is now toiling for a basketball league in Taiwan, admitted that he had a romantic rendezvous with Stephen Harper, though he denies the allegations of “intentional infliction of emotional distress” and “false imprisonment,” as stated in the civil lawsuit documents obtained by ESPN.
“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,” one of Howard’s attorneys, 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.”
Howard’s personal escapades — he has five children with five different women — have made him vulnerable to widespread mocking and memes over the years. He is now being bombarded on social media and podcasts.
Mase reacts to the Dwight Howard situation 😭😭😭
🎥: @ITISWATITISTALK pic.twitter.com/104jxB2rTa
— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) October 25, 2023
The lawsuit states that the encounter emanated from direct messaging that Harper initiated on Instagram in the late spring of 2021. Soon thereafter, Harper took a ride-share to Howard’s mansion where the alleged assault took place.
Howard is best known as an Atlanta native who bypassed college and became one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. The 18-year NBA veteran won an NBA title as a teammate of LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. He last played in the league in 2022 and continued his professional basketball career later that year with Taiwan’s Taoyuan Leopards.
While he navigates this legal landmine, Howard is taking a drubbing on social media.
#DwightHoward has always been a 🤡. Whether he was pretending to be a Christian or pretending to be a "baller" (no pun intended), he has always been a 🤡! https://t.co/LhYC9VuNG3
— moses ministries (@MinistriesMoses) October 25, 2023
#DwightHoward needs to chill 😂 https://t.co/mDwxmu4dLi
— ₭łł₦₲ Ø₣ ₦Ø₮Ⱨłł₦₲ (@KiiNGofNothiing) October 25, 2023
Now we know he was hunting for it… #DwightHoward pic.twitter.com/Jcf4Se1qqQ
— Chrîs🇭🇹 (@_xlerveau) October 25, 2023
