Basketball player James Harden has been named in a negligence lawsuit following allegations that his nephew sexually assaulted and raped a woman at a New Year's Eve party in December 2024.
The legal action was filed in Harris County, Texas, by Marisa Watley against Justice Armani Blackburn, who is accused of sexual assault and rape. According to Wigdor Law, which released details of the case, the lawsuit also targets Harden for negligence "due to the conduct of his in-home security staff after the party".
The alleged incident occurred at a party hosted at the Los Angeles Clippers star's home.
The lawsuit details how Watley's two friends who accompanied her to the party were removed by Harden's security team, despite their protests that she remained inside the property.
James Harden plays for the Los Angeles Clippers
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Following their removal, the friends contacted Watley's sister Elaina, who subsequently reached out to Harden's sister - Blackburn's mother. Elaina Watley managed to provide a photograph to Harden's security personnel.
However, whilst the security team acknowledged a woman was present in the home with Blackburn, they claimed this person was not Marisa Watley.
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The legal filing contends that had Harden's security staff "acted responsibly," they could have prevented the alleged rape from occurring.
Watley expressed her bewilderment at the security team's actions in a statement accompanying the lawsuit.
"Since New Year's Day, when I reported the rape by Mr. Blackburn to the police, I have remained puzzled by how Mr. Harden's security behaved that day—it is painful to imagine that this all could have been stopped in time," she said.
The incident allegedly occurred in the stars house
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She added: "I hope this complaint pushes security employees generally to act more responsibly when women are in danger."
The statement highlights Watley's belief that proper intervention by security personnel could have prevented the alleged assault from taking place.
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The alleged incident happened in 2024
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Watley's legal representatives have indicated their intention to pursue accountability against both Blackburn and Harden for their respective alleged roles in the incident.
No legal representation for Blackburn was listed in court documents at the time of filing.
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