Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden was named a defendant in a lawsuit alleging that he was negligent due to the conduct of his security team after a woman says she was sexually assaulted by Harden's nephew following a New Year's Eve party in 2024 at the NBA All-Star's mansion in Houston.
The lawsuit, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, was filed in Harris County, Texas. The plaintiff, Marisa Watley, demands a jury trial and economic, compensatory, and punitive damages.
According to the 18-page filing, Watley says she attended the New Year’s Eve party with two of her friends and that she was sexually assaulted while unconscious by Justice Armani Blackburn, who is Harden's nephew.
Watley says her friends were later removed by Harden's security, even though she was still inside the residence. The friends then contacted Watley's sister, who in turn contacted Harden's sister, who is the mother of Blackburn. The lawsuit says the sister submitted a photo of Watley to Harden's security, who said that the woman inside was not Marisa Watley, despite the lawsuit alleging that Watley was indeed in the mansion at that time.
The negligence claim against Harden stems from the complaint alleging the conduct of Harden's in-home security, which they say failed to act responsibly in response to outside calls for help and could have prevented the sexual assault. The lawsuit also says that Harden is "vicariously liable for the actions of his guards and their corporate employer," who were also named as defendants in the case.
