LOS ANGELES — New Orleans Pelican forward Zion Williamson has been accused of rape in a newly filed lawsuit, Sports Illustrated reported Friday.

The suit, filed Thursday, says that Williamson and the plaintiff started dating while the basketball player was a freshman at Duke in 2018, alleging that he raped her twice in Los Angeles in 2020.

The unnamed woman, who says she dated Williamson through 2023, also alleges that multiple other incidents took place in New Orleans.

According to court documents shared by Puck News founder and correspondent Eriq Gardner, Williamson threatened to have his paid security guard shoot the alleged victim in the head multiple times in Louisiana. Williamson also allegedly threatened to have the woman's parents killed.

Records also say that he is accused of continuously monitoring her location and rifling through her belongings.

This Zion Williamson suit is pretty stunning. If a fraction of this is true, I can't even fathom the consequences. pic.twitter.com/d5ZVkdEjGl

— Eriq Gardner ?? (@eriqgardner) May 30, 2025

Williamson's lawyer said that he and his client "take these allegations with the utmost seriousness," but denied them. 

"The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. This is the plaintiff’s third set of attorneys. This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance," Williamson's lawyer Michael A. Balascio said in a statement. "Mr. Williamson and the plaintiff never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago, when he was 18 years old. That relationship ended years ago."

Balascio added that Williamson intends to file counterclaims and "seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit."

"While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson," he said.