Dwight Howard's Attempt to Dismiss Sexual Assault Lawsuit Denied by Judge | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

A Gwinnett County judge in Georgia denied Dwight Howard's attempt to dismiss a pending lawsuit against him on Thursday, according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.

In July 2023, Stephen Harper accused the former NBA star of sexual assault and battery in the lawsuit. Harper said that Howard assaulted him at the longtime center's residence in July 2021 causing "intentional infliction of emotional distress" and accused him of false imprisonment.

Howard and his attorneys have argued that the encounter—which allegedly included a third person—was consensual, asking the judge to dismiss the case in October and requesting a summary judgment in December, which would have dismissed the charges without the need for a trial.

At the time, Howard's attorneys argued the situation was simply a "classic case of unrequited love" and after one night with Harper, the former basketball player was "no longer interested in keeping Mr. Harper's company."

Harper's attorneys denied the "unrequited love" argument and said Howard was trying to "escape the consequences of his actions."

"Justice will prevail and we fully trust in our justice system and the process," Justin Bailey, an attorney for Howard, told Holmes on Thursday. "This order is a part of the process. We will engage in discovery and will further prove our case and when the time is right we will let our future pleadings speak for themselves."

No trial has been scheduled at this time, with the discovery process ongoing.

"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," Harper's attorney, Olga Izmaylova, told Holmes.

Howard, 38, played in the NBA from the 2004-05 season to the 2021-22 campaign, suiting up for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers.