A civil lawsuit filed against New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson in a Los Angeles County Superior Court by a woman who describes herself as a former dating partner alleges that the former number-one overall draft pick committed multiple acts of sexual violence against her, according to the Associated Press.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiff, who is identified as “Jane Doe,” claims that she and Williamson began dating in 2018 and that he allegedly acted abusively towards her from 2020 until 2023, when their relationship ended.
Michael Balascio, who is Williamson’s attorney, described the allegations as “categorically false and reckless,” while also accusing the plaintiff of attempted extortion.
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” Balascio wrote in a statement given to the Associated Press. “This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”
According to the allegations in the lawsuit, the first act of sexual violence towards the plaintiff occurred in a Beverly Hills, California home that Williamson had rented. Additionally, the lawsuit alleges Williamson temporarily took the plaintiff’s cell phone from her after two instances of forced intercourse. The lawsuit also includes accusations of physical abuse, strangulation, and death threats towards the plaintiff and her family.
“We’re going to be very cautious about litigating this in the press,” said Sam Taylor II, the plaintiff’s attorney. “This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed.”
Court documents here… pic.twitter.com/gBKmbYwgqg
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Taylor added that his client “genuinely looks forward to her day in court when she can tell a jury of her peers what happened to her and seek justice.”
Balascio said the Williamson and the plaintiff “never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago,” when the NBA star was 18.
“At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns,” Balascio said. “Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.”
Balascio added that Williamson plans to file a counterclaim seeking “significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit.”
A spokesperson for the New Orleans Pelicans said that the team is aware of the situation but deferred to Balascio for further comments.
Taken with the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson is a two-time NBA All-Star who has averaged 24.7 points per game through the first six seasons of his career.
