A civil lawsuit in opposition to former NBA participant Dwight Howard alleging sexual assault and battery has been dropped, in response to a court docket submitting obtained by ESPN.

The dismissal got here Monday in Gwinnett County Court docket in Georgia and was filed by Stephen Harper, who initially filed the lawsuit in opposition to Howard in July 2023.

In Monday’s submitting, Harper dismissed all of the claims he had asserted in opposition to Howard with prejudice. In authorized phrases, this implies he can’t refile a lawsuit on these claims.

Justin Bailey, certainly one of Howard’s attorneys, advised ESPN’s Baxter Holmes that no cash was paid to Harper in alternate for him dropping the go well with in opposition to Howard.

Stephen Harper accused Dwight Howard of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and “intentional infliction of emotional misery”

Within the preliminary 2023 criticism, Harper accused Howard of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and “intentional infliction of emotional misery” stemming from a July 2021 encounter at Howard’s residence.

Harper accused Howard of sexually assaulting him on the ex-NBA participant’s Georgia residence. Howard denied these allegations and mentioned in an October submitting that he and Harper engaged in “consensual sexual exercise.”

Howard subsequently argued in a December submitting that the accusations in opposition to him had been baseless. He then requested the court docket to right away rule in his favor and dismiss the lawsuit with out a trial.

NEWS: Sexual assault lawsuit in opposition to Dwight Howard dropped https://t.co/ww98AThhga

— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) August 21, 2024

Nevertheless, a choose denied that request in February. Within the authentic criticism, Harper’s attorneys mentioned he and Howard first started speaking through direct messages on Instagram in Might 2021. Harper initiated the alternate, in response to court docket papers.

Harper’s criticism confirmed screenshots of the alleged Instagram exchanges between Harper and Howard. Additionally offered was an Uber receipt for Harper’s journey to Howard’s residence on the night time of the encounter.

No fees had been filed after Harper contacted the Gwinnett County Police Division in July 2022

Harper contacted the police a 12 months later, in response to a July 2022 incident report from the Gwinnett County Police Division. However no fees had been filed, per Holmes.

Dwight Howard argued then that the “case had been made public for revenue.”

“That is nothing greater than a traditional case of unrequited love,” Howard’s attorneys wrote within the December submitting obtained by ESPN. “After one consensual night collectively, Mr. Howard was not desirous about preserving Mr. Harper’s firm.”

Harper’s attorneys wrote in a January response that the go well with had “nothing to do with unrequited love.” Additionally they requested the choose to see previous Howard’s efforts “to flee the results of his actions.” His attorneys needed the chance for Harper to show his claims to a jury.

Howard, who turns 39 in December, final performed within the NBA within the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. As a 6-foot-10 middle, he earned eight All-Star alternatives and gained three NBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months awards.

In 1,242 profession NBA regular-season video games (1,078 begins) throughout 18 seasons, he averaged 15.7 factors, 11.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 31.8 minutes per contest whereas capturing 58.7% from the sphere and 56.7% on the free throw line.