Latest news with #rapeAllegations
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pelicans owner Gayle Benson breaks silence on Zion Williamson rape lawsuit
The post Pelicans owner Gayle Benson breaks silence on Zion Williamson rape lawsuit appeared first on ClutchPoints. New Orleans Pelicans' star forward Zion Williamson is facing legal trouble, as he's in a lawsuit facing rape allegations. The organization has been quiet about the allegations so far; however, on Tuesday, team owner Gayle Benson broke her silence and addressed the situation. Advertisement While talking with reporters of WWL-TV, an affiliate of CBS News based in New Orleans, Benson sort of brushed Williamson's lawsuit off her shoulders, claiming that people sue others for all sorts of reasons. Zion Williamson is innocent until proven guilty, and that's the exact approach the Pelicans' owner is taking on this matter. Benson is seemingly supporting Williamson with the lawsuit ongoing. 'You know, lawsuits are lawsuits… People can sue for anything. There's no reason. You can be innocent or not. So, it's just something that people do. Unfortunately.' Zion Williamson faces serous allegations that involve rape, physical assault, and death threats. Shortly after the lawsuit was made public, Williamson's legal team issued a statement, acknowledging the seriousness of the allegations while also denying them, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic. Advertisement 'We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,' Williamson's legal team said in a statement. 'The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This is the plaintiff's third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.' The 24-year-old forward has not made any public statements regarding the allegations. Instead, Zion Williamson is letting his legal team take charge of the lawsuit. In the meantime, the Pelicans star is involved in trade rumors with the offseason quickly approaching. Williamson played just 30 games for New Orleans this season as he's been dealing with a bone bruise in his lower back. However, when healthy, he is undeniably one of the best players on the court. Zion Williamson ended the 2024-25 campaign averaging 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 56.7% from the floor and 23.1% from the three-point line.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NBA player Williamson accused of rape in civil lawsuit
New Orleans Pelicans player Zion Williamson has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles. The court filings state that Williamson, 24, is accused of two rapes, both in Beverly Hills in 2020. The accuser is seeking damages for assault, sexual battery, domestic violence, burglary, stalking and false imprisonment. The lawsuit describes the alleged abuse as "sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature". Williamson - the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft - does not face criminal charges. Williamson's attorneys released a statement describing the allegations as "categorically false and reckless", and said the NBA star's legal team would seek "significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit". "This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance," legal firm Barrasso-Usdin-Kupperman-Freeman & Sarver told US media. The firm claim that Williamson previously reported the claimant to law enforcement over alleged extortion attempts. Speaking to US media the woman's lawyer, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles, said: "This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed." The New Orleans Pelicans have been approached for comment.
BBC News
31-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
NBA player Williamson accused of rape in civil lawsuit
New Orleans Pelicans player Zion Williamson has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit filed in Los court filings state that Williamson, 24, is accused of two rapes, both in Beverly Hills in accuser is seeking damages for assault, sexual battery, domestic violence, burglary, stalking and false lawsuit describes the alleged abuse as "sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature".Williamson - the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft - does not face criminal charges. Williamson's attorneys released a statement describing the allegations as "categorically false and reckless", and said the NBA star's legal team would seek "significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit"."This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance," legal firm Barrasso-Usdin-Kupperman-Freeman & Sarver told US firm claim that Williamson previously reported the claimant to law enforcement over alleged extortion to US media the woman's lawyer, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles, said: "This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed." The New Orleans Pelicans have been approached for comment.
The Guardian
30-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Lawsuit accuses New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson of rape and abuse
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson was accused of rape in a lawsuit filed this week in Los Angeles, the New York Post reported on Friday. In the suit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the woman – identified as Jane Doe – alleges Williamson sexually assaulted her twice in 2020. The plaintiff, who claims to be the NBA forward's ex-girlfriend, alleges there was a pattern of 'abusive, controlling and threatening behavior' toward her that occurred in California, Louisiana and other states. Williamson, 24, also is accused of threatening to have his security personnel shoot Doe in the head and have her parents killed, according to the report. 'Our client is very adamant about this – it's not her desire or our desire to litigate this case in the press,' Doe's attorney, Sam Taylor with the Lanier Law Firm, told the Post on Friday. 'It's a very serious case, as reflected in the allegations. Our client looks forward to her day in court where she can go and explain to a jury what happened to her, the things she endured for this defendant and getting justice.' Williamson's representatives did not immediately respond to the newspaper's request for comment. As of Friday afternoon, the Pelicans had not commented publicly on the allegations. Williamson, the No 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke, is a two-time All-Star with career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6rebounds and 4.3 assists in 214 games (all starts) with the Pelicans.
Reuters
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Lawsuit accuses Pelicans' Zion Williamson of rape
May 30 - New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson was accused of rape in a lawsuit filed this week in Los Angeles, the New York Post reported on Friday. In the suit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the woman -- identified as Jane Doe -- alleges Williamson sexually assaulted her twice in 2020. The plaintiff, who claims to be the NBA forward's ex-girlfriend, alleges there was a pattern of "abusive, controlling and threatening behavior" toward her that occurred in California, Louisiana and other states. Williamson, 24, also is accused of threatening to have his security personnel shoot Doe in the head and have her parents killed, according to the report. "Our client is very adamant about this -- it's not her desire or our desire to litigate this case in the press," Doe's attorney, Sam Taylor with the Lanier Law Firm, told the Post on Friday. "It's a very serious case, as reflected in the allegations. Our client looks forward to her day in court where she can go and explain to a jury what happened to her, the things she endured for this defendant and getting justice." Williamson's representatives did not immediately respond to the newspaper's request for comment. As of Friday afternoon, the Pelicans had not commented publicly on the allegations. Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke, is a two-time All-Star with career averages of 24.7 points, 6.6rebounds and 4.3 assists in 214 games (all starts) with the Pelicans. --Field Level Media
