Sexual assault lawsuit against Dwight Howard dropped

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The civil lawsuit against former NBA star Dwight Howard, alleging sexual assault and battery, has been dismissed. This decision came on Monday in Gwinnett County Court in Georgia, and the lawsuit was filed by Stephen Harper, who initially filed the lawsuit against Howard in July 2023. 

Harper has dismissed all the claims he had made against Howard with prejudice, meaning he cannot refile a lawsuit on those claims. According to Justin Bailey, one of Howard's attorneys, no money was paid to Harper in exchange for him dropping the suit against Howard. Harper's attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


In July 2021, Howard's Georgia residence was the location of an encounter that led to a lawsuit. Harper accused Howard of sexually assaulting him. In a complaint filed in July 2023, Harper also accused Howard of "intentional infliction of emotional distress" and false imprisonment. Howard denied these allegations, stating in an October filing that he and Harper engaged in "consensual sexual activity."

In a subsequent December filing, Howard argued that the accusations against him were baseless and requested the court to dismiss the lawsuit without a trial. However, the judge denied this request in February. The original complaint stated that Harper and Howard began corresponding over direct messages on Instagram in May 2021, with Harper initiating the exchange. The complaint also included screenshots of the alleged Instagram exchanges between Harper and Howard and an Uber receipt for Harper's trip to Howard's residence on the night of the encounter.


According to a July 2022 incident report from the Gwinnett County Police Department obtained by ESPN, Harper went to the police a year after the incident, but no charges were filed. In a December filing obtained by ESPN, Howard's lawyers described the situation as "nothing more than a classic case of unrequited love," asserting that after one consensual evening together, Howard was no longer interested in Harper's company. 

Harper's lawyers responded in January, stating that the lawsuit had "nothing to do with unrequited love" and urging the judge to see past Howard's efforts "to escape the consequences of his actions" and allow Harper to prove his claims to a jury.

Howard, 38, last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is an eight-time All-Star and a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.


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