New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has denied every allegation from the woman accusing him of rape, saying their relationship was consensual.
Williamson, 26, characterized his relationship with the unnamed woman as a “friends with benefits” arrangement that was “friendly and casual,” according to court documents obtained by Us.
In a lawsuit originally filed in Los Angeles in May 2025, the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, claimed to be an ex-girlfriend of Williamson. She accused him of kidnapping, raping and terrorizing her throughout a years-long relationship, which allegedly began in 2018 while he was playing at Duke University.
Williamson’s attorneys, meanwhile, argued in court documents that their interactions were “limited and infrequent and entirely consensual.”
She claimed that in 2020, Williamson raped and assaulted her at his Beverly Hills home. He allegedly told her “she could not go to sleep without having sex with him” before pinning her down and assaulting her, before choking and berating her, and throwing her phone.
Williamson allegedly assaulted her again days later, taking her phone and laptop to prevent her from seeking medical care. Multiple times over the next three years, the lawsuit claims Williamson strangled her “with such force that she reasonably feared for her life and eventually lost consciousness.” She also accused him of telling her he would have his security guard kill her and her family.
“When many of the wrongful acts were committed, [Williamson] was either drunk or on cocaine,” the lawsuit reads.
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” Williamson’s attorneys said in a statement when the lawsuit was first filed. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”
The statement continued, “Mr. Williamson and the plaintiff never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old. That relationship ended years ago. 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’s attorneys added that the NBA star reported the woman’s alleged extortion attempts to law enforcement and that he plans to seek “significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit.”
“While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court,” the statement concluded. “We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson.”
