The civil lawsuit that was filed in July 2023 against Dwight Howard for alleged sexual assault was dismissed on Monday in the state of Georgia. The former NBA player, now with the Taiwan Mustangs, had been accused of sexual assault and battery.

The alleged victim was a man named Stephen Harper, who in July 2021 reportedly visited Howard’s residence. There, the former NBA star allegedly sexually assaulted him and, according to the complaint, inflicted intentional emotional distress.

The 38-year-old 2.08-meter centre denied the facts and spoke of “consensual sexual activity”. At the time, he responded to the rumours by saying: “What I do in my room is my business.”

Contacts since 2021

The two men began communicating via direct messages on Instagram in May 2021. It was Harper who made contact first, as screenshots show. The bill for the Uber vehicle in which he drove to Howard’s house was also presented. For the player’s lawyers, who denied any payment to the alleged victim to avoid going to trial, the case was nothing more than unrequited love. After one night together, Mr Howard was no longer interested in his company.

Harper has now dismissed all claims he had filed against Howard, which means he cannot file a lawsuit on the same matter again. The former NBA player, a 2020 champion with the Lakers, eight-time All-Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year, will be able to continue his career in Asia, where he has been playing since 2022.