La Clippers star James Harden was charged with negligence in a lawsuit alleging that a woman was raped by his nephew after a big year day party at his Texas home last year.
Harden’s nephew Judge Armani Blackburn is accused of sexually assaulting 40-year-old Marisa Watley in a civil complaint filed Monday in Texas by law firm Wigdoll and counsel Erwanger Henderson.
The lawsuit alleges that Harden hired security guards may have prevented suspected rape, and that he is “generally responsible for the actions of his security guard and his corporate employer.” It is named Harden, Blackburn, and an unknown number of unidentified security guards listed as “Security Guard 1-10” and their unidentified employers.
Watley is seeking more than $100,000 in damages and is hoping to go to a ju trial.
Representatives from both Harden and Blackburn were contacted for comment. Neither of them publicly responded to the allegations.
“Plaintiff Marisa Watley was brutally raped by defendant Judge Armani Blackburn following the Great Year-old Party at the residence of Defendant James Harden,” the complaint states.
A friend of Watley told the security team she appears to be missing in the house, and the guards are aware that the woman has passed away from the entire house addiction, according to a lawsuit filed with the Harris County District Clerk’s District.
“Nevertheless, Harden’s security team recklessly failed to protect Watley with Harden’s property. The outcome was a sexual assault that she suffered indefinitely,” the lawsuit says.
Realtor Watley said in a statement: “When I reported the rape by Blackburn to the police on New Year’s Day, I was left confused by how Harden’s security acted that day.
The complaint says she is now speaking with heavy studs due to the “severe trauma” of rape.
According to the lawsuit, Watley and two friends will be going to a party at a nearby club after meeting at a restaurant on a big year day. Around 3:30am, they allegedly saw Harden in the VIP area and learned about the party at his house.
The three women took Uber to his house – the complaints say Watley thought he would go to a friend’s apartment – there an armed guard checked their ID and told them to go to an internal recording studio, the lawsuit says.
According to the lawsuit, Blackburn gave all three women a drink, causing it. The lawsuit states that Watley’s memories from this point are “very vague” as she comes and goes in and out of consciousness.
“The next thing that comes to mind, Watley is shocked by consciousness while lying on the bed with the guy behind her having aggressive sex with her,” the lawsuit says.
Watley claims that after this the guard told her to leave. The lawsuit says that her two friends were already told to leave and were locked up, despite telling the guards that her friend and some of their belongings were still inside.
The lawsuit allegedly said that the woman was not at home, but friends soon saw more women leave.
Watley’s two friends had her iPhone and were able to contact her sister through emergency contact at 10:44am. The lawsuit alleges that Watley appeared not after 1:29pm.
Her lawyers, Michael J. Willemin and John S. Crane of Wigdoll, and Jay Erwanger and Kaylin Betts of Erwanger Henderson, showed “great strength and courage” when reporting the allegations, said in a joint statement.
“The rape will be reported to the police soon, bringing Blackburn and Harden to justice through the civil justice system,” they said.
