#9 Derrick Rose rape scandal
Early in October last year, the NBA blew up on the news that Derrick Rose will find himself in another court case, facing a $21.5 million lawsuit filed by an anonymous ex-lover who claims Rose and his two friends gang-raped her in 2013.
A federal jury cleared Rose and his two friends of rape in a civil trial that put the legal definition of “consent” under scrutiny. His accuser was depicted as a sexually adventurous gold-digger, despite her tearful testimony that she had been drugged and raped. She had sought $21.5m in damages.
Derrick Rose had just been traded to the New York Knicks and the case delayed his debut with his new team. Adidas somewhat surprisingly brushed this off as completely non-credible (compare to their stand on Kobe’s story).