Latest news with #Watley
Black America Web
18 hours ago
- Black America Web
James Harden Sued For Negligence After Nephew Accused Of Raping Woman In His Mansion
Source: Ronald Martinez / Getty James Harden has managed to avoid missteps off the basketball court for much of his career, but now he's been named in a negligence lawsuit because of his nephew's alleged actions. According to a new lawsuit filed in Harris County, Texas, a woman named Marisa Watley says she was at Harden's mansion for a New Year's Eve party when she was 'brutally raped' by his nephew, Justice Armani Blackburn. Watley says she was out one night enjoying dinner with friends—known as Jane and Emily—when the party moved to a nearby club, where Harden was partying in a VIP section. After befriending him, the three of them ended up at Harden's home, which is where she met Blackburn. He offered her a drink, and she says shortly after taking a swig, 'her memory became extremely hazy' and she tried talking to her friend, 'but she was fading in and out and felt as though she could not speak.' Eventually, Blackburn allegedly tried to get her to go to another room, and the next thing she remembers is him being on top of her. 'The next thing Ms. Watley recalls is being shocked into consciousness while lying face down on a bed with a man behind her having aggressive sex with her. For the first few moments that she can recall of the assault, she was in a dream-like state and was not fully awake,' the lawsuit reads. She says that Blackburn began demanding to know if she was on birth control, and when she repeatedly said no, he stopped the assault, and she started frantically looking for her phone. The following afternoon, she says she kept getting calls from a California number, later learning it was Blackburn. She also says she went to the emergency room that day as she began struggling with her mental health because of the incident, and now ' speaks with a heavy stutter —a symptom of severe trauma. With the help of her sister, she is seeking therapy and psychiatric help. She will be suffering from the fallout of this event her entire life.' Watley's friends say they also took a drink from Blackburn's bottle and passed out shortly after, and began looking for her when they awoke. The Los Angeles Clippers star is being accused of failing to 'exercise reasonable care' with his security team 'by instructing them to let drugged women lie unprotected, they created a foreseeable risk of sexual assault, ultimately causing Ms. Watley's rape.' Watley demands a jury trial and economic, compensatory, and punitive damages against Blackburn. See social media's reaction to the case below. James Harden Sued For Negligence After Nephew Accused Of Raping Woman In His Mansion was originally published on
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Clippers' James Harden sued for alleged negligence in sexual assault case against his nephew
James Harden has been accused of negligence in a civil complaint filed in Harris County, Texas, that says the Los Angeles Clippers guard is 'vicariously liable for the actions of his [security] guards and their corporate employer." According to The Athletic, the complaint against Harden also includes allegations of sexual assault against his nephew, Justin Armani Blackburn. Advertisement The basis of the complaint comes from an alleged incident that happened at Harden's Houston home during a New Year's party. Marisa Watley, the plaintiff, alleges that Blackburn raped her while she was unconscious. Watley, who is demanding a jury trial and economic, compensatory and punitive damages, also alleges that Harden's security staff were negligent. Per the lawsuit, Watley and two of her friends attended the New Year's party after being out at a Houston strip club. When the three women learned about the party at Harden's home, they took an Uber there before being invited into Harden's "studio." It was there that Blackburn allegedly offered them a drink from a bottle before the three passed out. The negligence complaint against James Harden also includes allegations of sexual assault against the Clippers' guard's nephew, Justin Armani Blackburn. (Photo by) (Ezra Shaw via Getty Images) Watley claims her memory then became "extremely hazy" and was "shocked into consciousness" while she was being assaulted, during which she was "in a dream-like state" and "not fully awake." Advertisement The two women who accompanied Watley to the party were later removed by Harden's security team, leaving Watley still inside. The women got into contact with Watley's sister, who managed to get in touch with Harden's sister, the mother of Blackburn. The sister sent a photo of Watley to Harden's security team who, according to the complaint, told her that the woman inside the home was not Watley. 'Since New Year's Day, when I reported the rape by Mr. Blackburn to the police, I have remained puzzled by how Mr. Harden's security behaved that day — it is painful to imagine that this all could have been stopped in time," said Watley in a statement released. "I hope this complaint pushes security employees generally to act more responsibly when women are in danger.' Representatives of Harden's declined comment when reached by The Athletic. Harden, 35, played the past two seasons with the Clippers. He played for the Houston Rockets from 2012-2021. He is eligible to be an unrestricted free agent this summer should he choose to opt out of his current contract.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Why is James Harden being dragged into his nephew's alleged s*xual assault case? LA Clippers star's reported negligence explained
James Harden. Image via: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images In a troubling civil lawsuit filed in Harris County, Texas, Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden finds himself under legal and public scrutiny, not for his direct involvement in a crime, but for what the plaintiff calls his "negligence". The case stems from a New Year's Eve party hosted at Harden's Houston mansion in December 2024, where a woman, Marisa Watley, alleges she was r*ped by Harden's nephew, Justice Armani Blackburn, while unconscious. Harden is now being sued for allegedly failing to prevent the incident by his personal security team. What is James Harden accused of and why? The complaint, filed by Marisa Watley and first obtained by The Athletic, outlines serious allegations of s*xual assault against Blackburn and claims of negligence on James Harden's part for what occurred under his roof. While the lawsuit does not accuse Harden of assault, it states that he is 'vicariously liable for the actions of his guards and their corporate employer', both of whom are also named defendants. Watley alleges the following series of events unfolded at the party— Watley and two friends, referred to as Jane and Emily, arrived at Harden's party after being invited to the 'studio' area of his Houston mansion. Justice Armani Blackburn, Harden's nephew, offered them drinks from a bottle, after which they all lost consciousness. Watley claims her memory became 'extremely hazy,' but she recalls Blackburn urging her to go somewhere with him. She later remembers being 'shocked into consciousness' during the assault, describing herself as being 'in a dream-like state' and 'not fully awake.' The lawsuit further alleges that Harden's in-home security staff removed Watley's two friends from the residence, even as they pleaded that Watley was still inside. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Her sister, Elaina, was contacted by the friends, and she, in turn, reached out to Harden's sister, the mother of Blackburn. Elaina submitted a photo of Watley to Harden's security team. According to the complaint, they falsely claimed that the woman inside with Blackburn was not Watley. Watley's legal team said Harden's security staff could have prevented the r*pe had they acted appropriately. 'Since New Year's Day, when I reported the r*pe by Mr. Blackburn to the police, I have remained puzzled by how Mr. Harden's security behaved that day—it is painful to imagine that this all could have been stopped in time,' Watley said in a statement released through her attorneys. 'I hope this complaint pushes security employees generally to act more responsibly when women are in danger. ' Also Read: James Harden stuns fans by dressing as WWE legend Hulk Hogan at Fanatics Fest showdown The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and demands economic, compensatory, and punitive damages. Watley's attorneys, Michael J. Willemin, John S. Crain, Jay Ellwanger, and Kaylyn Betts, shared the gravity of the situation: 'Ms. Watley has shown great strength and courage in coming forward to hold Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden accountable for what happened to her on New Year's Day 2025 in Mr. Harden's mansion. This r*pe was immediately reported to the police, and we will bring Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden to justice through the civil justice system.' Harden or his representatives have not commented on the alleged lawsuit as of yet. For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here . Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
NBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC News
NBA star James Harden accused of negligence in sexual assault lawsuit against his nephew
LA Clippers star player James Harden has been accused of negligence in a lawsuit that claims a woman was raped by his nephew while she was unconscious after a New Year's Eve party at his Texas house last year. Harden's nephew, Justice Armani Blackburn, is accused of sexual assault against Marisa Watley, 40, in a civil complaint filed in Texas on Monday by law firm Wigdor and co-counsel Ellwanger Henderson. The lawsuit alleges that security guards hired by Harden could have prevented the alleged rape and that he is "vicariously liable for the actions of his guards and their corporate employer." It names Harden, Blackburn, and an unknown number of unidentified security guards as defendants, listed as 'security guards 1-10,' and their unidentified employer. Watley is seeking more than $100,000 in damages and wants a jury trial. Representatives for both Harden and Blackburn were contacted for comment. Neither has responded publicly to the allegations. "Plaintiff Marisa Watley was brutally raped by Defendant Justice Armani Blackburn following a New Years Eve party at Defendant James Harden's mansion home," the complaint says. According to the lawsuit, filed in the Harris County District Clerk District, Watley's friends had allegedly told the security team that she appeared to be missing in the house and that the guards were aware that women were passed out from intoxication throughout the house. "Nonetheless, Mr. Harden's security team recklessly failed to protect Ms. Watley on Mr. Harden's property — and the result was a sexual assault from which she will suffer indefinitely," the lawsuit says. Watley, a real estate agent, said in a statement: "Since New Year's Day, when I reported the rape by Mr. Blackburn to the police, I have remained puzzled by how Mr. Harden's security behaved that day — it is painful to imagine that this all could have been stopped in time. I hope this complaint pushes security employees generally to act more responsibly when women are in danger." The complaint says she now speaks with a heavy stutter due to the "severe trauma" of the alleged rape. The lawsuit says that Watley and two friends met at a restaurant on New Year's Eve before going to a party at a nearby club. At about 3:30 a.m., they allegedly saw Harden in a VIP area and learned of a party at his house. The three women took an Uber to his house — the complaint says Watley thought they were going to a friend's apartment — where an armed security guard checked their IDs and told them to go to the recording studio inside, the lawsuit says. There, the lawsuit says, Blackburn gave all three women a drink that caused them to pass out. The lawsuit says that Watley's memory from this point "becomes extremely hazy" as she faded in and out of consciousness. "The next thing Ms. Watley recalls is being shocked into consciousness while lying face down on a bed with a man behind her having aggressive sex with her," the lawsuit says. Watley alleges that after this, a security guard told her to leave. The lawsuit says her two friends had already been told to leave and were locked out despite telling security guards that their friend and some possessions were still inside. The lawsuit says they were allegedly told no women were in the house, but the friends soon saw more women leaving. Watley's two friends had her iPhone and were able to contact her sister through her emergency contacts at 10:44 a.m., who then called the police. The lawsuit alleges that it wasn't until after 1:29 p.m. that Watley emerged. Her attorneys, Michael J. Willemin and John S. Crain from Wigdor, and Jay Ellwanger and Kaylyn Betts of Ellwanger Henderson, said in a joint statement that Watley showed "great strength and courage" in reporting the allegations. "This rape was immediately reported to the police, and we will bring Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden to justice through the civil justice system," they said.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Clippers' James Harden accused of negligence in sexual assault case
According to the 18-page filing, Watley says she attended the New Year's Eve party with two of her friends and that she was sexually assaulted while unconscious by Justice Armani Blackburn, who is Harden's nephew. Watley says her friends were later removed by Harden's security, even though she was still inside the residence. The friends then contacted Watley's sister, who in turn contacted Harden's sister, who is the mother of Blackburn. The lawsuit says the sister submitted a photo of Watley to Harden's security, who said that the woman inside was not Marisa Watley, despite the lawsuit alleging that Watley was indeed in the mansion at that time. The negligence claim against Harden stems from the complaint alleging the conduct of Harden's in-home security, which they say failed to act responsibly in response to outside calls for help and could have prevented the sexual assault. "Since New Year's Day, when I reported the rape by Mr. Blackburn to the police, I have remained puzzled by how Mr. Harden's security behaved that day--it is painful to imagine that this all could have been stopped in time. I hope this complaint pushes security employees generally to act more responsibly when women are in danger," Watley said in a statement. Harden, 35, a 11-time NBA All-Star and six-time first-team All-NBA selection, just completed his second season with the Clippers, averaging 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. "Ms. Watley has shown great strength and courage in coming forward to hold Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden accountable for what happened to her on New Year's Day 2025 in Mr. Harden's mansion. This rape was immediately reported to the police, and we will bring Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden to justice through the civil justice system," Watley attorneys, Michael J. Willemin, John S. Crain, and Jay Ellwanger and Kaylyn Betts said in a statement.
