The sexual assault lawsuit against former NBA star Dwight Howard has been officially dropped. The dismissal occurred on August 19, 2024, in Gwinnett County Court, Georgia, as filed by Stephen Harper, who initially brought the lawsuit in July 2023. Harper dismissed all claims against Howard with prejudice, meaning he cannot refile the lawsuit on those grounds in the future.
The lawsuit stemmed from an incident in July 2021 at Howard’s residence, where Harper accused Howard of sexual assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment. Howard has consistently denied these allegations, asserting that any interactions were consensual. His legal team stated that no financial settlement was made in exchange for the lawsuit’s dismissal.
What were the Main Arguments Howard’s lawyers used to Defend him?
In defending Dwight Howard against the sexual assault lawsuit brought by Stephen Harper, Howard’s legal team employed several key arguments:
- Consensual Encounter: Howard’s attorneys asserted that the interaction between Howard and Harper was consensual. They emphasized that explicit text messages exchanged between the two indicated Harper’s willingness to engage in the activities in question, thereby undermining Harper’s claims of assault and false imprisonment.
- Allegations of Tampering: The defense claimed that Harper had omitted crucial text messages from his initial complaint and suggested that he tampered with the evidence. This argument aimed to cast doubt on the credibility of Harper’s allegations and to highlight inconsistencies in his narrative.
- Characterization of the Lawsuit: Howard’s lawyers framed the lawsuit as a retaliatory act stemming from unreciprocated affection. They suggested that Harper’s motivations were vindictive, particularly after Howard expressed disinterest in pursuing a deeper relationship. This narrative posited that the lawsuit was an attempt by Harper to damage Howard’s reputation following unmet financial demands and threats.
- Lack of Criminal Charges: The defense pointed out that despite Harper’s claims and his involvement of law enforcement a year after the alleged incident, no legal charges were ever filed against Howard. This fact was used to argue that the allegations lacked sufficient basis in reality.
These arguments played a crucial role in the legal proceedings, ultimately leading to the dismissal of the lawsuit.