On July 25, Dwight Howard appeared on the Way Up with Angela Yee show to finally clear the air about the shocking sexual assault allegations that surfaced earlier this month.
On Tuesday, the NBA star denounced claims that he was involved in a wild threesome. “It wasn’t real,” Howard, 37, told Yee and her co-host Jasmine Brand when asked about the eyebrow-raising 2021 lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault and battery. “There was a lawsuit, but they threw the case out.”
Yee then asked the baller if he knew why the startling allegations were resurfacing two years after the lawsuit was filed. Howard said he believed there were people out there eager to throw dirt on his name, especially now that’s been promoting positive content about his life and career on social media.
“I just posted a video of me and my son working out that got some bad press, so now, it’s like we got to keep with this negative train, and I just stay positive with all this stuff. There’s nothing on my page that nobody could say, has any negativity,” the Hornets alum said. “So, when I see those things, I know that it’s an attack on my character and where I’m at in life. So, I feel like there’s about to be an elevation process. And the things from my past, the things that people have said I’ve done, they are trying to come up now to stop this.”
Peep what Dwight had to say at the 47:37 minute mark.
As MADAMENOIRE previously reported, in 2021, a man named Stephen Harper slammed the eight-time NBA All-Star with a massive lawsuit alleging sexual assault and battery. According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline, Harper alleged that the former Lakers star forced him into having a threesome with a man dressed up as a woman after they met on Instagram.
Harper alleged that after he refused to partake in the threesome, Howard sexually assaulted him. “Defendant stood up (towering over Mr. Harper), grabbed Mr. Harper by the thighs, forcibly removed Mr. Harper’s underwear, held Mr. Harper down, and performed nonconsensual oral sex on Mr. Harper,” the suit read. “Mr. Harper was in fear of imminent bodily harm when he was pinned down and forced to remain in place while Defendant continued to sexually assault him.”
During his appearance on the Way Up show Tuesday, the famous athlete told Jasmine and Yee that he was tired of the media spreading lies about him being a “deadbeat dad” and worried how the lawsuit would impact his children.
“People say like, I don’t spend time with my kids or I’m a deadbeat dad or that I would ever do anything to hurt my kids. All the other noise that people say, about everything, whatever they think my personal life is, that’s my personal life and I would never make public statements about something private of mine, like who’s in my bed or anything like that,” the NBA player clarified.
When asked about the gay rumors, he blamed the hearsay on the people out there “conspiring against him.”
“Of course, they are going to say things like that to keep this negative train going. ‘We gotta find a way to assassinate this man’s character.’ My focus is not those people that’s conspiring against me. My focus is on this podcast that I’m tryna get out,” the Atlanta native said while teasing his forthcoming podcast, where he plans to talk more about the allegations.
Howard isn’t “hurt” by the allegations brought forth in the lawsuit, but he is worried that the rumors will have a negative impact on his children. “I didn’t react. Assault and Battery? Y’all been around me for how long… I have never in my life assaulted or hurt anyone,” the basketball star insisted.
“I’m not even that type of person. So, when I see allegations and accusations online about whatever people have said I’ve done, I don’t pay attention to them,” he added. “It doesn’t hurt, but it makes me feel for my children. It’s not about all the crap about me, my kids and their moms. My son doesn’t need to see that.”
Watch the full episode of Way Up with Angela Yee above. What do you think about Dwight Howard’s interview?
RELATED CONTENT: “My Dad Ain’t A Real Dad” Dwight Howard’s Son Speaks Out
