Pelicans’ Zion Williamson sued for rape, years of abuse in bombshell lawsuit

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been accused of rape, according to a lawsuit submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, in addition to “sexual, physical, emotional and financial” abuse over the span of a long-term relationship that started during Williamson’s freshman year at Duke and lasted from 2018 to 2023.

The woman, identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, accuses Williamson of a “continuing pattern of abusive, controlling and threatening behavior” over the course of the multiyear relationship, per ESPN. The 12-page civil complaint says Williamson’s alleged actions occurred in multiple states, including Louisiana and California, per ESPN’s report.

The lawsuit alleges that the first instance of sexual violence occurred in a home Williamson had rented in Beverly Hills, California and that he raped her twice in Los Angeles in 2020. It also alleges that he threatened to have his paid security guard shoot Doe and kill the plaintiff’s parents in Louisiana between 2020 and 2023.

The complaint includes accusations of strangulation, being kicked, slammed with a car door and suffocated until Doe lost consciousness. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages — including punitive damages — for emotional distress.

Williamson’s New Orleans-based attorney, Michael 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.

Balascio called the claims in the lawsuit “categorically false and reckless.” Williamson’s attorneys also noted “at no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns,” adding that “only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.” They added that Williamson had reported the woman’s “extortion attempts” to law enforcement and that they plan to file a counterclaim.

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

“We and our client do not want to litigate this case in the press,” Doe’s attorney told The Daily Mail. “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.”

A two-time NBA All-Star, Williamson was the first overall pick by New Orleans in 2019. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound power forward has averaged 24.7 points per game across six years in the league.

Williamson, who turns 25 next month, has played in only 214 of 472 regular-season games (45.3%) and zero playoff games over that span because of a series of injuries, one of which caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 season. 

He appeared in 30 games (all starts) for the 2024-25 campaign before suffering a season-ending back injury in March.

In April, Williamson was dragged into a home invasion incident involving the mother of his child, though Williamson was not named in the affidavit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This is a developing story.