Zion Williamson has denied the allegations made against him in a sexual assault lawsuit, with the NBA star now providing his own account of the relationship he had with his accuser.
Williamson denied every allegation made by the woman, identified in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, and claimed the pair instead had a casual “friends with benefits” relationship, according to TMZ.
The woman filed the lawsuit last year and alleged that she and Williamson began dating in 2018 before their relationship ended in 2023. She accused Williamson of raping her twice in 2020 and alleged that he strangled her multiple times between 2020 and 2023.
Williamson has denied those claims and reportedly argued in new court documents that the pair never lived together and maintained a “friendly and casual” sexual relationship. He also claimed there were occasions when the woman requested sex while he was unavailable, according to TMZ.
Williamson reportedly described the domestic violence allegations as “nonsensical” and argued that California laws concerning sexual battery, stalking and domestic violence do not apply to the alleged incidents because they occurred in North Carolina, Texas and Louisiana.
The former No. 1 overall pick had already strongly denied the allegations through his attorney after the lawsuit was initially filed.
“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 attorney said. “This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”
Williamson’s legal team also claimed that he previously contacted law enforcement regarding alleged attempts to extort him and said he planned to pursue legal action of his own.
“Mr. Williamson reported the plaintiff’s extortion attempts to law enforcement. We understand that an arrest warrant was issued in connection with that report, and we are prepared to provide the court with documentation that supports these facts,” his attorney said. “Mr. Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit.”
The lawsuit remains ongoing, with Williamson continuing to deny the allegations against him.
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