Derrick Rose Sued, Accused of Raping Ex-Girlfriend
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Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose "is being sued by a woman who claims the NBA superstar and two of his friends [Randall Hampton and Ryan Allen] drugged and gang-raped her," according to TMZ on Aug. 26. (Warning: report contains graphic sexual content.)
The lawsuit was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Aug. 26, according to Ron Clements of Sporting News.
Continue for updates.
Rose's Accuser Reportedly Seeking $21.5 Million in Lawsuit
Wednesday, Oct. 28
TMZ, citing court documents, reported Rose's accuser is looking for $6 million in compensatory damages and $15.5 in punitive damages. The report stated the trial is "likely" to begin in late 2017.
Rose Files Documents Regarding Incident in Question
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Rose has filed court documents that tell his side of the story. He claims the accuser "consented to sexual interaction with more than one co-defendant on more than one occasion, consented to sexual interactions on the day in question and invited the defendants to her apartment and buzzed them in," according to TMZ.
TMZ added more information on Rose's side of the story:
Rose says things were so cool the following day—the accuser casually had a cup of coffee with her roommate in the morning after the sex ... and headed into work for a full shift. The implication is that a rape victim would have been way too distraught to have done any of that.
In the docs, Rose says the woman only began to get upset with him a few weeks or months later because she felt she should have been reimbursed for one of the sex toys she bought and used during the night in question.
Rose, Forman Comment on Lawsuit at Bulls Media Day
Monday, Sept. 28
During his media availability on Monday, Rose said he's confident he will be proven innocent, via Sam Smith of Bulls.com, adding, "It isn't true."
"I hope it got everybody's attention," Rose said, via Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago. "The person that's in your life gotta be in it for the right reasons not just one."
Bulls general manager Gar Forman said he "doesn't anticipate" that Rose will miss any time due to the lawsuit, adding he doesn't believe it will be a distraction to the team, per Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald.
"We understand there's a process he needs to go through, but Derrick is part of our family," Forman said, per Goodwill. "He's got our full support."
On Aug. 27, Rose issued a statement on the lawsuit, saying: "I'm just focusing on staying healthy and getting ready for the season," via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "I'm not going to comment other than to say I know the truth and am confident I will be proven innocent."
Details of Accusations Against Rose Emerge
Wednesday, Aug. 26
The woman, reportedly identified as "Jane Doe" in the lawsuit, said she dated the Bulls star from 2011 to 2013.
She alleged Rose and two friends slipped a drug into her drink at Rose's Beverly Hills home.
TMZ reported "the plaintiff says she escaped the house with a friend, but later that night, Rose and his friends broke into her apartment and gang-raped her while she was incapacitated. She said she remembers only 'flashes' of the incident but can remember the defendants forcibly raping her."
The woman also alleged that while she and Rose dated, he attempted to get her to perform various sexual acts for him, which she refused.
The complaint also claims Allen called the plaintiff a month later, saying he "was not aware" she was incapacitated, thought she "wanted it" and that "girls in L.A. ask them to have group sex because they recognize them as NBA players," per Clements' report.
According to TMZ, the woman waited two years to file suit "because she was 'ashamed and embarrassed' of what happened and concerned her 'conservative family' would find out."
Adidas spoke about its relationship with Rose, saying: "Our support and partnership with Derrick Rose is unwavering," per Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
Despite the allegations, no criminal charges are being sought, per Clements, with the woman being "reluctant" to do so, fearing retaliation and not wanting to see Rose face jail time.
Clements also provided the list of allegations against Rose:
In her lawsuit, the civil complaints against Rose, Hampton and Allen are sexual battery, battery, trespassing, conspiracy to trespass and commit rape and battery, a civil action for gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and a claim for declaratory relief. The plaintiff has requested a trial by jury.
Lisa Cohen, Rose's attorney, responded to the allegations, per Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal:
The plaintiff's allegations are completely false and without any factual basis. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shake down a highly respected and successful athlete. Mr. Rose was in a non-exclusive, consensual sexual relationship with the plaintiff for over two years. The plaintiff expressed no complaints about Mr. Rose until various lawyers began to surface and demand that the plaintiff be paid millions of dollars. ... This is the third lawyer the plaintiff has retained in this matter. Two years have passed since Mr. Rose ended the consensual relationship with the plaintiff, and her claims are as meritless now as they were two years ago. We have complete confidence that the case will be dismissed and that Mr. Rose will be vindicated. This lawsuit is outrageous.
Rose was the 2008-09 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 2010-11 NBA MVP. He has endorsement deals with Adidas, Powerade and Giordano's, among others. He is one of the most recognizable players in the league and arguably the current face of the Bulls franchise.