Sexual Assault Charges Against Dwight Howard Dropped

A civil lawsuit against former NBA star Dwight Howard alleging sexual assault and battery has been dismissed, according to a court document obtained by ESPN.

The dismissal took place Monday in Gwinnett County Superior Court in Georgia and was filed by Stephen Harper, who originally filed the lawsuit against Howard in July 2023.

In Monday’s filing, Harper dismissed all of the claims he brought against Howard with prejudice, meaning he cannot file a new lawsuit based on those claims.

Justin Bailey, one of Howard’s attorneys, told ESPN that Harper did not receive any money in exchange for dropping the lawsuit against Howard.

Harper’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit stemmed from a July 2021 encounter at Howard’s Georgia home, where Harper accused Howard of sexually assaulting him. Harper’s July 2023 complaint also accused Howard of “intentional emotional distress” and false imprisonment.

Howard denied the allegations, stating in a document he filed in October that he and Harper had engaged in “consensual sexual activity.”

Howard subsequently argued in a December filing that the allegations against him were baseless and asked the court to immediately rule in his favor and dismiss the lawsuit without a trial. A judge denied that request in February.

In the original complaint, Harper’s attorneys said that he and Howard first began corresponding via direct messages on Instagram in May 2021, with Harper initiating the exchange. Harper’s complaint showed screenshots of the alleged Instagram exchanges between Harper and Howard, along with an Uber receipt for Harper’s trip to Howard’s residence the night of the meeting.

Harper went to police a year later, according to a July 2022 incident report from the Gwinnett County Police Department obtained by ESPN. No charges were filed.

“This is nothing more than a classic case of unrequited love,” Howard’s lawyers wrote in the December filing obtained by ESPN. “After one consensual evening together, Mr. Howard was no longer interested in the company of Mr. Harper.”

Harper’s lawyers wrote in a January response that the lawsuit had “nothing to do with unrequited love” and asked the judge to look beyond Howard’s attempts “to escape the consequences of his actions” and give Harper a chance to prove his claims to a jury.

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