NBA champion Dwight Howard's sexuality was questioned for much of 2023 after the future Hall of Famer was accused of sexually assaulting a man in 2021. Howard's accuser, Stephen Harper, sued Howard, which led the former NBA player to admit in court documents that he consensually engaged in relations with men.
Howard's 2023 case caused his 2019 defamation lawsuit against Masin Elije to resurface. In 2018, Elije broke an NDA and claimed Howard was bisexual. Howard responded by denying the rumors and sued Elije for defamation and invasion of privacy. Years after filing the lawsuit, Howard has decided to dismiss his claims against Elije and prevent the case from going to trial.
While the professional basketball player originally denied sexual encounters with men and knowing Elije, his most recent admissions would reportedly prohibit him from taking the stand. Reports also indicate that Howard would have been unable to prove Elije lied. Most recently, Dwight Howard's motion to dismiss Stephen Harper's lawsuit was denied.
Scroll above to view the notice of dismissal.
