LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 04: Dwight Howard #39 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first half against the Miami Heat in Game Three of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 04, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
In response to sexual assault and battery allegations raised against him in a civil lawsuit in Georgia, former NBA star Dwight Howard has denied sexual assault and battery allegations leveled against him last year, claiming that the encounter was “consensual.”

The story went viral as everybody had something to say about it.

In response, Howard posted a video online addressing his haters in a humorous way to show that he is not bothered by anything they have to say.

The allegations came from a man named Stephen Harper stemming from an incident in 2021 that allegedly took place at the Georgia home of the former Los Angeles Lakers star. According to the report, Harper accused Howard of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and “intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

An attorney representing Howard told ESPN that the alleged incident was “consensual” and that the guy only went public after a demand for payment.

​​”What was a private consensual encounter was made public for profit and Mr. Howard looks forward to bringing the truth to light in a court of law,” Justin Bailey told ESPN. “The allegations against Mr. Howard are contested. Mr. Howard intends to present the truth.”

“The truth is Mr. Howard blocked Mr. Harper on social media and then was confronted with two options — pay to protect his reputation or have a fabricated story made public. Despite being an easy target due to the subject matter and his status as a celebrity, Mr. Howard chose to trust in the justice system and will rely on all future court filings to speak for themselves,” Bailey told the outlet.

Harper’s lawsuit says he met Howard through Instagram and they exchanged explicit text messages before arranging to meet. Those messages were also released as evidence. Harper says Howard texted him to ask if another man or woman could join their planned sexual encounter. Harper says he told Howard he was not interested.

Once at Howard’s home, Harper claims they were joined by a man dressed as a woman who identified only as “Kitty.” He alleges Howard and Kitty forced him to participate in sexual activity.
“Mr. Harper was trapped in Defendant’s bedroom and believed that he would suffer imminent bodily harm if he resisted Defendant’s sexual advances,” the lawsuit said. Afterward, “Mr. Harper felt extremely violated and humiliated, and was in complete shock.”
Howard denied the allegations in his response, which says the three men agreed to “engage in consensual sexual activity.”

He wants the lawsuit thrown out.

The 37-year-old Howard was an eight-time All-Star, three-time defensive player of the year, and one of the NBA’s most dominant centers during the prime of his 18-year professional career.

Howard played in Taiwan during the 2022-23 season.