New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is denying the claims of a woman accusing him of rape, saying the relationship was a consensual ‘friends with benefits’ arrangement.
Williamson, who is facing the allegation from a Jane Doe, denies her claims that he assaulted her, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ.
The basketball player issued a general denial of every allegation in the complaint, claiming that he did not harm her in any way.
The Daily Mail has contacted attorneys representing Williamson and Doe for comment.
Per the outlet, Williamson described the relationship as ‘friendly and casual’ and called their interactions ‘pleasant and consensual.’
He also claims the two never lived together, that Doe repeatedly tried to initiate sex while he was unavailable or out of town and insists there was never any assault or sexual battery.
Pelicans star Zion Williamson is denying claims of rape filed by a ‘Jane Doe’ in Los Angeles
Williamson says the relationship was ‘casual’ and interactions were ‘pleasant and consensual’
Williamson also says the relationship ended in May 2023, arguing that Doe’s claims of assault, battery, sexual battery, domestic violence and stalking are all past the respective statutes of limitations.
The basketball player, 26, also branded the domestic violence claim as ‘nonsensical’ – saying the two never lived together or interacted frequently enough to have their relationship considered domestic.
The filing of the claims took place in California courts, but also covered alleged interactions in North Carolina, Texas and Louisiana. Williamson denies such conduct occurred in any of those four states, but also claimed that California laws covering sexual battery, domestic violence and stalking are not applicable in the other three states.
The lawsuit in question, filed in late May in Los Angeles and obtained by the Daily Mail, accuses Williamson of rape and physical abuse by the Jane Doe – who claims to be the Pelicans star’s former girlfriend.
In addition to two specific rape allegations, the power forward is accused of a continuing pattern of ‘abusive, controlling, and threatening behavior toward Plaintiff,’ as detailed in the filing provided to Daily Mail by Doe’s attorney.
‘We and our client do not want to litigate this case in the press,’ a statement at the time from the Lanier Law Firm’s Sam Taylor began. ‘However, I will say this is a very serious case as reflected in the Complaint filed in Los Angeles County. Our client looks forward to her day in court before a jury of her peers to obtain justice in this matter.’
According to the filing, Doe and Williamson began dating around 2018 when he was attending Duke. They allegedly remained together through June of 2023, by which time he was playing in the NBA for the Pelicans.
The Plaintiff claims Williamson controlled and harmed her throughout their relationship, adding that the abuse was ‘sexual, physical, emotional and financial in nature.’ In some cases, Doe claimed, Williamson would choke or smother her, causing her to ‘reasonably fear for her life.’ He’s also accused of threatening her life and the lives of her family members.
Williamson’s attorneys at Usdin, Kupperman, Freeman & Sarver released a statement after the filing went public – denying the accusations and accusing the Plaintiff of ‘demanding millions of dollars’ in an ‘attempt to exploit’ their client. The statement goes on to claim that Williamson reported the Plaintiff’s ‘extortion attempts’ to law enforcement, adding that he plans to file a counter claim seeking damages for the ‘defamatory’ lawsuit.
Williamson also denies that the woman accusing him ever lived with him
At the time of their initial statement, Williamson’s attorneys echoed their client’s September claim that the two never dated, that their relationship was ‘casual’ and that it had ended ‘years ago.’
Doe’s counsel Taylor claimed that the response from Williamson’s camp contained a ‘number of misrepresentations.’
‘We have every intent to take this matter to trial, openly hold Mr. Williamson accountable and send a message that no one is above the law, “Each of these claims is supported by witnesses and corroborating evidence, but this filing still requires extraordinary courage on her part,”‘ Taylor added.
Doe claims to have been raped twice by Williamson after he moved to Beverly Hills in the fall of 2020 to train during COVID.
After being picked up at a hotel by a person described in the complaint as Williamson’s agent, she was brought to the 6-foot-6 NBA superstar’s home to find he wasn’t there, according to the filing. Doe claims when Williamson eventually did return home late that evening, she tried to leave only for him to call her ‘stuck up’ and a ‘b****’ before demanding sex.
When she refused, Williamson allegedly ‘pinned Plaintiff down on the bed with her hands behind her back and raped her.’
The Plaintiff goes on to accuse Williamson of denying her access to her phone, choking her and yelling at her for ‘talking too much.’
A second rape is alleged to have occurred a month later after Doe told Williamson she wanted to visit a friend in San Diego, according to the filing.
Williamson allegedly told her she couldn’t go before growing angry and throwing things, which the Plaintiff said resulted in her being fearful.
An enraged Williamson allegedly picked up Doe before throwing her down on the floor and violently raping her.
He is then accused of taking her phone and laptop for a period of time to prevent her from reporting the alleged assault or seeking medical care.
Doe insists these were not isolated incidents, but part of a broader pattern of abuse, rape and assault.
The relationship came to an end in 2023.
‘This case shows a disturbing pattern of coercive control, threats, and domination, including stalking, strangulation and threats with a loaded firearm,’ another of Doe’s attorneys, Rachel Lanier of The Lanier Law Firm, said in a statement in May.
‘Mr. Williamson used his wealth and fame to isolate, silence and control my client, who only after many months of medical treatment and counseling is able to come forward and describe what she endured.’
Williamson is seen during a scrimmage in 2018 at Duke, where he allegedly began dating Doe
It’s already been a turbulent offseason for Williamson, who represented the Pelicans at the NBA Draft Lottery.
The mother of his young daughter was arrested in April for allegedly stalking, threatening and beating another woman romantically linked to the power forward.
Police in the exclusive New Orleans suburb of Kenner, Louisiana arrested Ahkeema Love after she allegedly egged her rival’s home, threatening the woman on social media, and later attacking her at Williamson’s house. Cops say the unnamed victim had lacerations on her face, as reported by WDSU.com.
According to officers, Love fled the scene but was arrested nearby on Royal Palm Drive in the Gabriel development, a gated community along Lake Pontchartrain.
Love’s bond was set at $50,000 on Tuesday as she was charged with three counts of home invasion, aggravated battery, and stalking.
Furthermore, Love has been ordered to stay away from the victim and surrender her pistol.
Neither woman is believed to be the Plaintiff in the rape lawsuit against Williamson.
Police in the exclusive New Orleans suburb of Kenner, Louisiana arrested Ahkeema Love (pictured) on Monday after she allegedly egged her rival’s home
Ahkeema Love is the mother of Zion Williamson’s daughter. The two are seen here in 2023
Love and Williamson appear together before a Pelicans game
That was hardly the first drama to come from the 26-year-old Williamson’s romantic life.
He and Love revealed in June of 2023 that they would be having a baby girl, only to have that announcement clouded by allegations that the former No. 1 pick was having an affair with a porn star, Moriah Mills.
In response to Williamson’s birth announcement, Mills, 32, exposed her romantic relationship with the NBA star by sharing alleged screenshots of their intimate text messages.
According to Mills, Williamson never told her that he was seeing anyone, let alone that he was an expecting father.
‘I was with you last week in New Orleans and you couldn’t tell me you had a random thot pregnant after all I’ve done for you @Zionwilliamson,’ Mills tweeted in June. ‘Better pray I’m not pregnant too because I’m definitely late.’
Mills’ Twitter account was ultimately suspended after she threatened to leak sex tapes of herself with Williamson.
She claimed she was involved with Williamson beginning in 2021 and referred to his girlfriend Ahkeema as ‘a low-budget pornstar.’
Mills’ social media rampage included 20 messages in the space of a couple of hours
Mills also made repeated attacks against Williamson on Twitter.
‘You will lose all your endorsements if the sex tapes drop @ZionWilliamson!!’ she wrote.
The first pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson has failed to live up to lofty expectations in the pros, mostly due to injury and conditioning problems.
Although he’s lost some weight recently, Williamson was shut down at the end of the season after suffering a lower back contusion.
Over 29 games in 2024-25, Williamson averaged 24.6 points and 7.2 rebounds a game, while hitting an impressive 56.7 percent of his field goals.
