Woman sues Pelicans’ Zion Williamson over accusation of sexual violence

Zion Williamson is being sued by a woman describing herself as a former dating partner and who alleges the New Orleans Pelicans star committed repeated sexual violence against her.

The civil lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday night, identifies the plaintiff as “Jane Doe.” She claims she began dating Williamson in 2018, when he played at Duke, and alleges that he engaged in abusive behaviour toward her in California, Louisiana and Texas from 2020 until their relationship ended in 2023.

Williamson’s New Orleans-based attorney, Michael Balascio, called the claims in the lawsuit “categorically false and reckless,” and accused the plaintiff of extortion, which he said has been reported to law enforcement.

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” Balascio said in a written statement provided to The Associated Press. “This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”

The lawsuit alleges that the first instance of sexual violence occurred in a home Williamson had rented in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The lawsuit also alleges that Williamson temporarily took the plaintiff’s mobile phone from her after the first two instances of forced intercourse and also took her laptop after the second.

The complaint includes accusations of strangulation, death threats to the plaintiff and her family and physical abuse, including being kicked, slammed with a car door, and suffocated until she lost consciousness.

“We’re going to be very cautious about litigating this in the press,” said the plaintiff’s attorney, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles.

“This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed,” Taylor continued, adding that his client “genuinely looks forward to her day in court when she can tell a jury of her peers what happened to her and seek justice.”

The lawsuit seeks monetary damages — including punitive damages — for emotional distress.

Balascio said Williamson and the plaintiff “never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago,” when Williamson was 18.

“At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns,” Balascio said, adding that “only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.”

Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and “seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit,” Balascio said.

A Pelicans spokesman said the club was aware of the matter but deferred comment to Williamson’s lawyer.

Williamson was the first player picked in the 2019 draft. In six years as a pro, he has averaged 24.7 points per game. But has played in only 214 of 472 regular-season games — and no playoff games — during that span because of a series of injuries, one of which caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 season.