New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been hit with rape and abuse allegations in a lawsuit filed by an unnamed woman claiming to be an ex-girlfriend. ESPN reported that a Jane Doe alleged in the suit, filed on Thursday in the Los Angeles Superior Court, that Williamson raped her twice in 2020. She also alleged that Williamson had a “continuing pattern of abusive, controlling and threatening behavior” while they were together from 2018 to 2023. Williamson, who was selected as the New Orleans Pelicans’ first overall draft pick in 2019, was allegedly a freshman at Duke when they met. Williamson’s attorneys at Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, LLC came out swinging in a statement addressing the allegations. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless... This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance,” they said. The attorneys added that Williamson and the woman had a “consensual, casual relationship” that ended years ago and “no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns.” A team spokesperson for the Pelicans deferred ESPN to Williamson’s legal team for comment.
Read it at ESPN
