Pelicans star Zion Williamson accused of rape in lawsuit. He denies claims.

Steve Wiseman, The News & Observer on May 31, 2025

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Former Duke star and current NBA player Zion Williamson is accused of rape and assault, in a lawsuit filed by a Seattle woman in Los Angeles on Thursday.

In the civil lawsuit, the accuser, identified as Jane Doe, alleges the incidents occurred between 2020 and 2023 in several states, including California and Louisiana. The News & Observer obtained a copy of the lawsuit Friday.

In a statement emailed to The News & Observer, Williamson’s New Orleans-based attorney, Michael Balascio, called the allegations “categorically false and reckless.” He added that their relationship was “casual and consensual” and denied that the accuser was Williamson’s girlfriend.

“This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance,” the statement reads. “At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns. Only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.”

Williamson, the national player of the year during his lone season at Duke, has played for the New Orleans Pelicans since they made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He also rented a home in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The accuser said she met Williamson while he was a Duke student in 2018. She said she ended their relationship in 2023.

“She, nor our law firm, want to litigate this in the press,” Sam Taylor, one of her attorneys with the Lanier Law Firm, told The News & Observer in a phone interview Friday. “That’s not our intent, but we will say it’s a very serious case, as reflected in the specific allegations contained in the pleadings that we filed in Los Angeles County. The bottom line is, our client is looking forward to her day in court, where she can talk to a jury of her peers and explain to them what happened to her and seek justice.”

The lawsuit alleges Williamson “engaged in a continuing pattern of abusive, controlling, and threatening behavior toward” the accuser, including abuse that was “sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature.”

The accuser said Williamson raped her at his Beverly Hills home in September and October 2020. After both incidents, she claims, Williamson held her phone and other electronic devices, preventing her from contacting anyone.

She also details other incidents of rape and assault that occurred in Louisiana, Texas and Oregon.

In addition, she claims Williamson entered her apartment without her knowledge or consent, where he stole her personal belongings and also physically and sexually assaulted her between 2020 and 2023. She said that, on multiple occasions, Williamson threatened her and threatened to kill her family members.

That included pointing a loaded firearm at her head during a 2022 incident in Louisiana, she said, causing her to fear for her life. She also alleges false imprisonment, including an incident in which Williamson slammed a car door shut as she tried to exit a vehicle, knocking her unconscious.

Balascio, Williamson’s attorney, said this is just the latest accusation the woman has made against Williamson.

“Mr. Williamson reported the plaintiff’s extortion attempts to law enforcement,” he said in the prepared statement. “We understand that an arrest warrant was issued in connection with that report, and we are prepared to provide the court with documentation that supports these facts. Mr. Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit.”

Listed as 6-6 and 284 pounds, the 24-year-old Williamson has played five seasons in the NBA with the Pelicans.

“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,” Taylor said in a statement following Balascio’s comments. “Each of these claims is supported by witnesses and corroborating evidence, but this filing still requires extraordinary courage on her part.”