The civil lawsuit against former NBA star Dwight Howard, which accused him of sexual assault and battery, has been officially dismissed, according to recent online court records. The case was initially brought forward in October by a Georgia man named Stephen Harper, who alleged that Howard forced him into a threesome in July 2021 after the two had connected via social media. Harper also claimed that Howard was guilty of intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment.
In a significant legal development, Harper agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning he cannot refile the same claims against Howard in the future. According to Howard’s attorney, Justin Bailey, no financial settlement was involved in the dismissal of the case, reaffirming that Howard did not pay Harper to drop the charges.
Throughout the legal proceedings, the 38-year-old eight-time NBA All-Star consistently denied the allegations. His legal team maintained that the accusations were part of an extortion attempt. In a statement to ESPN, Bailey asserted, “The allegations against Mr. Howard are contested. Mr. Howard intends to present the truth. 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. Despite being an easy target due to the subject matter and his status as a celebrity, Mr. Howard chose to trust in the justice system and will rely on all future court filings to speak for themselves.”
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In addition to his attorney’s statements, Howard himself addressed the situation publicly, expressing frustration with the public and media’s interest in his personal life. In a social media video, he said, “Mind your business. They saying you going on dates with dudes, bro? Why the hell do you or anybody care who the hell I spend my time with? That’s the problem with y’all people.” Howard continued, “That ain’t for everybody on the internet. That ain’t for no blogs. That ain’t for no websites. I don’t got to tell nobody where I put my wood.”
The lawsuit originally gained attention when Harper shared what he claimed were Instagram exchanges with Howard, along with an Uber receipt showing his travel to Howard’s residence on the night of the alleged incident. Harper also reported the alleged encounter to the police in July 2022, but no criminal charges were ever filed.
Attorney Justin Bailey emphasized that the police report was made only after Harper had been blocked on social media by Howard and after Harper’s initial demand for payment was refused. Bailey pointed out that Georgia’s two-year statute of limitations for filing such civil lawsuits could have complicated the case, but Harper’s attorney, Olga Izmaylova, noted that they needed time for an independent investigation and to consider private factors before moving forward with the lawsuit.
Despite the legal battles, Howard’s career has taken him around the globe. While he last played in the NBA in 2022, his legacy includes a championship win with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and multiple NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards during his prime years with the Orlando Magic. Howard, who is also the father of five children with five different women, has been vocal about his Christian faith since he entered the NBA straight out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy in 2004.
Most recently, Howard has been playing overseas. In 2022, he signed with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan, where he was named Most Valuable Import for the 2023 season. He has since signed with the Taiwan Mustangs, continuing his basketball career internationally while his legal issues in the United States appear to have been resolved with the dismissal of this case.
