Dwight Howard's plea to dismiss sexual assault lawsuit rejected by court: What we know so far

Former NBA star Dwight Howard's plea to dismiss the sexual assault lawsuit filed against him has been rejected by the court. ESPN reported that the decision was made by a judge in Gwinnett County, Georgia, this week. This is in connection to an ongoing legal battle filed by one Stephen Harper, who alleged in July 2023 that Howard sexually assaulted him in July 2021.

Harper's attorney, Olga Izmaylova, released a statement regarding the development of his case, saying,

"My comment, at this time, is that we are glad the court denied Mr. Howard’s motion and look forward to proving our client’s case."

In addition, the judge also ruled to seal an exhibit that was filed in December 2023. According to Howard's lawyers, the exhibit had sexually explicit text messages.

The lawsuit is still in the discovery phase, which means both sides are still gathering information and evidence to back up each of their claims. No trial date has been issued, and the former Orlando Magic star and his camp have remained consistent in defending the allegations.

In a December 2023 filing, the attorneys of the former top pick characterized it as consensual and termed it a “classic case of unrequited love.” However, Harper and his camp, however, countered the claim in January 2024, reportedly urging the judge to deny Howard’s request for a summary judgment.

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Lawyers submitted tampered evidence in Dwight Howard's case

Dwight Howard's legal team has tried their best to defend the former NBA player. In December 2023, they brought it to the attention of the court that a submitted text conversation between Howard and Harper was tampered with.

"In short, the totality of the text messages between Mr. Howard and Mr. Harper make it abundantly clear that Mr. Harper's claims are frivolous, that he was a willing participant in the events of July 19, 2021, and the early morning hours of July 20, 2021, and that the touching of his person had been invited by him," Howard's attorneys wrote.

Howard, however, has maintained focus in his basketball career. He hasn't been part of any NBA team for a while but is trying to get international teams to sign him. His most recent stint was in the Philippines when he suited up for the Strong Group Athletics.