NBA Star James Harden Hit With Negligence Lawsuit Over Assault Allegations At His Houston Home
Whew! James Harden is catching heat… and this time, it ain’t about basketball. The NBA star is being dragged into serious legal trouble after a woman accused his nephew of raping her at a wild New Year’s Eve party hosted at Harden’s Houston mansion. Now, the woman is suing Harden for negligence, claiming his security team failed her in the worst way.
RELATED: Ex-NBA Player Delonte West ARRESTED In Florida After Alleged Drunken Incident With Cops
According to court documents filed this week in Harris County, Texas, the incident allegedly went down as the party was jumping off into 2024. The victim says she drank from a bottle given to her by Harden’s nephew, Justice Armani Blackburn, and quickly blacked out. The next thing she remembers — waking up to horror.
“I Was Left Alone Inside”: Lawsuit Says Security Removed Victim’s Friends But Left Her Inside With Harden’s Nephew
Here’s where the situation turns even more disturbing. The lawsuit claims that guests were told to leave their cell phones and other personal items either in their cars or at the front gate. According to the filing, after the woman lost consciousness, her two friends were kicked out of the house allegedly by Harden’s private security — even though she was still inside.
The victim’s friends reportedly located her phone after being removed and quickly contacted her sister, who then reached out to Harden’s sister — who also happens to be Blackburn’s mother. The lawsuit says her sister even sent a photo of the woman to Harden’s security, hoping to get help. But security allegedly responded saying the woman in the image “wasn’t her,” despite claims that she was still very much inside the mansion.
The woman is now accusing Harden’s team of not only ignoring outside cries for help — but also enabling the assault by failing to intervene when it could’ve been prevented.
Lawsuit Says Harden Is “Vicariously Liable” For His Security Team’s Alleged Negligence
According to the 18-page lawsuit, Harden is being sued on the grounds of negligence for what his in-home security team allegedly did — or didn’t do — the night of the incident. The complaint accuses them of acting irresponsibly, failing to protect a guest under their watch, and brushing off efforts from loved ones who tried to intervene.
But it doesn’t stop there.
The lawsuit also claims Harden is “vicariously liable for the actions of his guards and their corporate employer,” which means the woman is holding him legally responsible for the actions of the people he hired to protect his home and guests.
So far, James Harden’s legal team hasn’t issued any public response.