Latest news with #Pelicans
New York Post
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Zion Williamson rape accuser seeking eye-popping $18 million to $50 million in bombshell lawsuit
The woman alleging Zion Williamson raped her is seeking 'anywhere from $18 million to $50 million' in the lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles superior court, a source told ESPN. Williamson denied the allegations to The Post on Friday via his legal representatives. The woman, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, claims to be the Pelicans star's ex-girlfriend, having allegedly started dating when Williamson was a freshman at Duke in 2018 until 2023. 'During the course of their relationship, Defendant engaged in a continuing pattern of abusive, controlling and threatening behavior toward Plaintiff,' the lawsuit reads, as obtained by The Post. 'His wrongful conduct occurred in Louisiana and continued thereafter across several states. The abuse was sexual, physical, emotional and financial in nature.' 4 Zion Williams is alleged to have committed rape in a new lawsuit. AP The lawsuit contains graphic details from a pair of 2020 encounters. Doe alleges in the lawsuit that she arrived on Sept. 23, 2020 to the Beverly Hills home that Williamson rented at the time and he requested sex. When Doe told the former No. 1 pick she was tired and wanted to go to sleep, he allegedly called her 'stuck up' and a 'b—h' and said she could not go to bed before sleeping with him. After she said no, the 24-year-old Williamson allegedly 'pinned Plaintiff down on the bed with her hands behind her back and raped her.' When Doe attempted to grab her phone, Williamson allegedly threw it across the room before choking her and yelling at her for 'talking too much.' A second alleged rape is claimed to have occurred roughly one month later on Oct. 10, 2020. Doe alleges to have told Williamson she wanted to visit a friend in San Diego and he said that she could not go while throwing items in the house. 4 Zion Williamson with the Pelicans during a March 2025 game. NBAE via Getty Images Williamson is then alleged to have 'picked her up, threw her down to the ground, and pinned her shoulders down so she could not move. Defendant violently raped Plaintiff in multiple ways.' Doe alleges Williamson then took her cell phone and laptop to prevent her from contacting anyone. The lawsuit alleges Williamson 'continued to abuse, rape, assault and batter plaintiff' in multiple other states until the relationship ended in 2023. 4 Zion Williamson allegedly began dating the woman while at Duke in 2018. AP Doe also claims Williamson threatened to kill her and her family, including an allegation of him threatening to pay his security guard to shoot her in the head and kill her parents. 'Our client is very adamant about this — it's not her desire or our desire to litigate this case in the press,' Doe's attorney, Sam Taylor with the Lanier Law Firm, said to The Post. 'It's a very serious case, as reflected in the allegations. Our client looks forward to her day in court where she can go and explain to a jury what happened to her, the things she endured for this defendant and getting justice.' Williamson's legal counsel said in a statement they plan to file a counterclaim against Doe and seek 'significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit. 'We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them. The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless,' Williamson's legal counsel told The Post. 'This is the plaintiff's third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.' 4 Williamson represented the Pelicans at the NBA draft lottery. NBAE via Getty Images The representatives added that Williamson has reported 'the plaintiff's extortion attempts to law enforcement' and allege that an arrest warrant was issued 'in connection with the report.' His representatives claim the two had a 'consensual, casual relationship' but never dated. 'That relationship ended years ago. At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns. Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars,' the statement provided to The Post on Friday read. 'While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson.' Williamson just completed his sixth season in the NBA — he did not play in 2021-22 — all with the Pelicans, and has struggled to live up to expectations due to injuries. He has played at least 60 games only twice, with the ex-Duke star appearing in only 30 games this past season. Williamson has dealt with off-the-court drama during his career. Adult film star Moriah Mills claimed in 2023 that the two had a relationship and she threatened to release alleged sex tapes featuring the pair. Ahkeema Love, the mother of Williamson's daughter, was arrested in April and charged with home invasion, aggravated battery and stalking after breaking into a woman's home and hitting her with keys, Kenner (La.) police said, as reported by NBC News. Williamson was not named in the probable cause affidavit from the incident.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
NBA player Williamson accused of rape in civil lawsuit
New Orleans Pelicans player Zion Williamson has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles. The court filings state that Williamson, 24, is accused of two rapes, both in Beverly Hills in 2020. The accuser is seeking damages for assault, sexual battery, domestic violence, burglary, stalking and false imprisonment. The lawsuit describes the alleged abuse as "sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature". Williamson - the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft - does not face criminal charges. Williamson's attorneys released a statement describing the allegations as "categorically false and reckless", and said the NBA star's legal team would seek "significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit". "This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance," legal firm Barrasso-Usdin-Kupperman-Freeman & Sarver told US media. The firm claim that Williamson previously reported the claimant to law enforcement over alleged extortion attempts. Speaking to US media the woman's lawyer, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles, said: "This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed." The New Orleans Pelicans have been approached for comment.
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
NBA player Williamson accused of rape in civil lawsuit
New Orleans Pelicans player Zion Williamson has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit filed in Los court filings state that Williamson, 24, is accused of two rapes, both in Beverly Hills in accuser is seeking damages for assault, sexual battery, domestic violence, burglary, stalking and false lawsuit describes the alleged abuse as "sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature".Williamson - the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft - does not face criminal charges. Williamson's attorneys released a statement describing the allegations as "categorically false and reckless", and said the NBA star's legal team would seek "significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit"."This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance," legal firm Barrasso-Usdin-Kupperman-Freeman & Sarver told US firm claim that Williamson previously reported the claimant to law enforcement over alleged extortion to US media the woman's lawyer, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles, said: "This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed." The New Orleans Pelicans have been approached for comment.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Four disturbing claims from lawsuit accusing Zion Williamson of years of rape and abuse
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson is accused of rape and domestic violence spanning several years, according to a new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday. The woman, identified as Jane Doe, alleges a years-long pattern of abuse by the former No. 1 pick. The suit claims the two began dating while Williamson was a freshman at Duke University in 2018. Their relationship allegedly continued through June 2023. Here are some of the most disturbing claims detailed in the lawsuit, reported by The lawsuit states that Williamson first raped the woman in September 2020. A second incident allegedly took place the following month after she told him she wanted to visit a friend, which reportedly made him angry. According to the suit, Williamson was often high on cocaine or drunk during many of the alleged assaults. 'The lawsuit said the abuse and rape continued to happen across multiple states and goes on to list 17 examples of acts it said were done by Williamson, many times while he was drunk or on cocaine,' Defector reported. 'The list in the lawsuit included: sexually and physically assaulting Doe multiple times, confining her after a rape or assault multiple times, strangling her to the point she feared for her life and lost consciousness multiple times, suffocating or smothering her multiple times…' The woman claims in the lawsuit that Williamson threatened multiple times to have his security guard 'shoot Doe in the head while the guard was there and carrying a loaded gun, and threatening to have his security guard kill Doe's parents multiple times after telling her he knows where they live,' reported Defector. In one incident detailed in the lawsuit, Williamson allegedly pointed a gun at her head while in Louisiana in 2002. The suit also accuses him of filming her without consent and threatening to release nude images when she attempted to end the relationship in California and Louisiana. Williamson's attorney, Michael A. Balascio, called the allegations 'categorically false and reckless,' claiming the two had a 'consensual, casual relationship' that ended years ago. He told Defector that after the relationship ended, the woman began demanding millions of dollars from Williamson. Balascio also said Williamson had reported the woman to law enforcement and that a warrant had been issued 'in connection with that report.' Williamson reportedly plans to file a countersuit. The Pelicans have not yet commented on the lawsuit. Williamson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Despite two All-Star selections, his career has been limited by injuries — appearing in just 214 games over six seasons. He holds career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game and has yet to appear in a playoff game. Related Headlines NHL Games Today: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule, Dates, Times, and Results WNBA games today: WNBA schedule 2025, how to watch the WNBA NBA games today: Game 6 of New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers MLB games today: 15 games on Saturday's MLB schedule, including Yankees vs. Dodgers on Fox
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zion Williamson Denies Shocking Sexual Assault Allegations And Announces Plans To Countersue
NBA star Zion Williamson has responded to shocking allegations outlined in a new lawsuit filed by a woman under the pseudonym Jane Doe, who claims he sexually assaulted, abused, and kidnapped her during their relationship. In a statement to TMZ Sports, Williamson's attorney fired back at the allegations of sexual assault against his client, labeling them "categorically false and reckless." The lawyer continued, "We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them. The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This is the plaintiff's third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance." Elsewhere in his statement, Williamson's attorney claimed his client "never dated" the accuser. However, the attorney admitted the pair had a "consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old." "That relationship ended years ago. At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns. Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars," they added. According to Williamson's attorney, the NBA star reported the "plaintiff's extortion attempts to law enforcement," and claims "an arrest warrant" was subsequently "issued in connection with that report." They added that they were more than "prepared to provide the court" with documentation supporting the facts of the case. Furthermore, Williamson's legal counsel said the Pelicans player plans to "file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit." "While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson," the attorney said. The lawsuit alleges that on September 23, 2020, Doe was raped and assaulted by Williamson at his Beverly Hills home. In the legal documents, the accuser claimed the basketball player allegedly called her "stuck up" and a "b-tch" and told her she couldn't go to sleep "without having sex with him." She also claimed Williamson, now 24, allegedly proceeded to choke and scream at her for "talking too much" after forcibly pinning her down and sexually assaulting her. A month later, in October 2020, Doe said that another visit with Williamson allegedly went awry after she expressed her desire to visit friends in San Diego. The legal documents further state that Williamson allegedly assaulted her following this exchange and then took her phone and laptop, preventing her from seeking help. 'These two incidents were not isolated,' the lawsuit reads. 'Williamson continued to abuse, rape, assault, and batter Plaintiff in California and other states, including Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023.' Williamson isn't the only professional athlete being accused of allegedly assaulting a woman in a recent lawsuit. In April 2025, Super Bowl champion and media personality Shannon Sharpe was sued by a 23-year-old woman in a Nevada court who, through her attorney, claimed the NFL player was abusive and controlling. The negative attention following the lawsuit led to Sharpe stepping down from his role on ESPN's "First Take" and postponing his "Nightcap" podcast tour until the summer of 2026. The athlete's attorney also addressed the claims in a statement and said Sharpe and his accuser were in a consensual relationship, one that reportedly involved roleplay. Sharpe's lawyer also released alleged text messages between his client and the accuser to "clearly indicate the nature of their relationship." His legal team continued, "These messages are just a sampling of a broader pattern of graphic, sexual communications initiated by [Doe]. The evidence paints a clear picture: this was a consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy scenarios explicitly requested by [Doe]." In a video statement, Sharpe also directly addressed the allegations, vowing to defend himself against the damning claims. He finished by thanking his family, fans, and friends for their "overwhelming and ongoing support."
