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.
“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. I hope this complaint pushes security employees generally to act more responsibly when women are in danger,’ Watley said in a statement.
Harden, 35, a 11-time NBA All-Star and six-time first-team All-NBA selection, just completed his second season with the Clippers, averaging 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game.
“Ms. Watley has shown great strength and courage in coming forward to hold Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden accountable for what happened to her on New Year’s Day 2025 in Mr. Harden’s mansion. This rape was immediately reported to the police, and we will bring Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden to justice through the civil justice system,’ Watley attorneys, Michael J. Willemin, John S. Crain, and Jay Ellwanger and Kaylyn Betts said in a statement.
