Former NBA Star Dwight Howard Accused Of Sexual Assault Against Another Man

Former NBA star Dwight Howard has had a whirlwind of a year after undergoing allegations of sexual assault and battery against another man. He’s also asking the courts to dismiss the civil lawsuits he’s facing in Georgia, claiming the plaintiff is only after money.

Howard has long been under speculation for his sexuality as it is and previously told Complex Sports he was not gay after he grabbed a teammate’s crotch on live TV in 2019.

Now, a man named Stephen Harper alleges that the two engaged in direct messages on social media before meeting up for a hookup in July 2021.

They both agree the meetup happened, but while Harper says Howard made a move on him that wasn’t consensual, Howard has since denied any wrongdoing. In court documents obtained by ESPN, Howard said he engaged in “consensual sexual activity” with Harper in his home that July. He also said Harper began the Instagram messages the previous May and initiated the exchange.

Harper also accused Howard of “intentional infliction of emotional distress” and false imprisonment, both claims that Howard has denied.

One of Howard’s attorneys, Justin Bailey, told ESPN the “private consensual encounter was made public for profit and Mr. Howard looks forward to bringing the truth to light in a court of law.”

He also insists Harper is only seeking money, saying, “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.”

Harper’s prosecution team comes armed with screenshots of the alleged Instagram interactions as well as an Uber receipt of his trip to Howard’s residence that night. It wasn’t until a full year later that Harper went to file an incident report with the Gwinnett County Police Department in Georgia.

Bailey reiterated, “This report was made following Mr. Harper being blocked on social media and after the first demand for payment was rejected.”

Howard, an eight-time All-Star and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the Los Angeles Lakers, has yet to publicly confirm or further deny his sexuality in light of the accusations.