Lawsuit accuses New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson of rape and abuse

Allegations of Abuse and Assault

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been accused of rape, domestic violence, and a years-long pattern of abuse in a civil lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

The plaintiff, identified in the complaint only as Jane Doe, alleges the NBA star sexually assaulted her twice in 2020 at a home he rented in Beverly Hills and subjected her to repeated abuse until their relationship ended in 2023.

Details of the Lawsuit

The 12-page suit lays out allegations of sexual battery, stalking, false imprisonment, and physical assault spanning multiple states, including California, Louisiana, Texas, and Oregon.

The plaintiff claims she began dating Williamson in 2018, when he was a freshman at Duke University, and that the relationship soon turned violent. “Defendant engaged in a continuing pattern of abusive, controlling, and threatening behavior toward Plaintiff,” the complaint states. “The abuse was sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature.”

Incidents Described in the Complaint

According to the suit, the first alleged rape occurred on or about September 23, 2020, when Williamson allegedly had the plaintiff brought to his Beverly Hills home by one of his agents. When he arrived later that evening, she told him she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. “Defendant called Plaintiff ‘stuck up’ and a ‘bitch’ and told her that she could not go to sleep without having sex with him,” the complaint alleges. “Plaintiff told Defendant ‘no.’ Defendant pinned Plaintiff down on the bed with her hands behind her back and raped her.” The filing claims he later threw her phone across the room and choked her while yelling.

Legal Proceedings and Public Impact

The lawsuit has brought significant attention to the issues of domestic abuse and sexual assault within professional sports, sparking conversations about athlete behavior off the field and the responsibilities of sports organizations in handling such allegations.