Former NBA star Dwight Howard has responded to sexual assault and battery allegations made against him in a civil lawsuit filed in Georgia in July. In his court filing on Monday, Howard vehemently denied the claims and requested that the lawsuit be dismissed.

According to Howard's defense, he asserts that the encounter in question was consensual and that he engaged in "consensual sexual activity" with a man named Stephen Harper at his Georgia home in July 2021. Howard admitted to expressing an interest in meeting up with Harper after they began corresponding over text and Instagram messages starting in May 2021.

Screenshots of the alleged messages, including sexually explicit content, were included in the complaint. Harper alleged that during their meeting on July 19, 2021, at Howard's residence, a friend of Howard's arrived after they had engaged in consensual kissing. Harper claimed that Howard mentioned the friend's involvement in threesomes, to which Harper stated he had not come to the house for that purpose. Howard denied this allegation and denied attempting to involve Harper in any threesome.

Harper further alleged in his complaint that when he expressed non-consent and requested Howard to stop their sexual acts, Howard became verbally aggressive towards him. Harper described feeling terrified and confined in Howard's bedroom, given the physical size of both Howard and his friend. Harper believed that resisting Howard's advances would result in imminent bodily harm.

Howard's response contradicted Harper's account, stating that all three individuals involved had agreed to engage in consensual sexual activity and touch one another. Additionally, Howard denied accusations of intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment.

Police records show that Harper reported the incident to the Gwinnett County Police Department in July 2022, identifying Howard as his "ex-boyfriend." However, no charges were filed, and police noted that they had made multiple attempts to formally interview Harper but received no response.

Howard's legal team released a statement asserting that the encounter was a private and consensual one, and they intend to bring the truth to light in court. They also claimed that the allegations against Howard were fabricated for profit and that he chose to trust in the justice system rather than pay to protect his reputation.

On the other side, Harper's lawyer emphasized that the acts perpetrated by Howard and his friend were non-consensual and that Harper is exercising his legal rights as per Georgia law to seek redress for the alleged unlawful acts he experienced.

Dwight Howard, aged 37, last played in the NBA during the 2021-22 season. The eight-time All-Star has had a successful career, playing for several teams, including the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Washington Wizards. Reports surfaced in September that Howard was in discussions with the Golden State Warriors and potentially other interested teams for a possible return to the NBA.