Final 12 months, Stephen Harper made headlines when he filed a lawsuit in opposition to former NBA star Dwight Howard, accusing him of sexual assault and battery. The allegations included claims that Howard pressured Harper right into a threesome. Nevertheless, new developments have emerged as Harper has determined to drop his lawsuit.
In response to a court docket submitting obtained by ESPN, the civil lawsuit was formally dismissed on Monday in Gwinnett County Court docket in Georgia. The dismissal was filed by Harper, who initially introduced the lawsuit in opposition to Howard in July 2023. The submitting signifies that Harper has dropped all claims in opposition to Howard “with prejudice,” that means that the lawsuit can’t be refiled on the identical claims.
Considered one of Howard’s attorneys, Justin Bailey, confirmed to ESPN that no monetary settlement was made in alternate for Harper dropping the lawsuit. As of now, Harper’s authorized staff has not supplied any touch upon the matter.
This dismissal marks the top of a authorized battle leaving many questions unanswered in regards to the motivations and circumstances behind the lawsuit and its withdrawal.