Los Angeles Clippers basketball star James Harden has been hit with a bombshell lawsuit by a lady who claims she was sexually assaulted by the athlete’s nephew after attending a New 12 months’s Eve get together at his mansion.
Texas actual property agent Marisa Watley, 40, claims she was raped by Justice Armani Blackburn – the son of Harden’s sister Arnique Jelks – following the get together in Harris County, Texas on December 31, 2024.
Whereas solely Blackburn is accused of sexual assault, his uncle – NBA star Harden – has additionally been named within the criticism, alleging that his safety group had been conscious that a number of ladies had been handed out from intoxication in the home and that she was in a susceptible situation.
The criticism additionally claims that the safety ‘was conscious that Mr. Blackburn had engaged in legal conduct in direction of others’ on the night time in query.
Harden – who’s the high-profile ex-boyfriend of Khloe Kardashian – has been sued for negligence after his group ‘recklessly failed to guard Ms. Watley’ on his personal property, and ‘the consequence was sexual assault from which she is going to undergo indefinitely,’ the go well with provides.
DailyMail.com has reached out to James Harden’s agent Troy Payne and the Los Angeles Clippers for remark.
Based on the lawsuit, Watley was out with two of her mates at a restaurant when the trio turned conscious of a celebration taking place at a close-by membership referred to as Polekatz.Â

Los Angeles Clippers basketball star James Harden has been hit with a bombshell lawsuit by a lady who claims she was sexually assaulted by the athlete’s nephew

Justice Armani Blackburn (pictured) – the son of Harden’s sister Arnique Jelks – is accused of raping Texas actual property agent Marisa Watley on New 12 months’s Eve in 2024

Watley has sued Blackburn for sexual assault and Harden for negligence
Once they arrived, considered one of her mates is claimed to have identified at round 3:30am that Harden was there together with his group within the VIP part. Quickly after the identical pal discovered of an after get together taking place on the NBA legend’s house.
Watley then claims she obtained into an Uber along with her two mates with out realizing the vacation spot, earlier than they arrived at Harden’s property.
‘There was a minimum of one safety guard on the gate, and a guard was reviewing visitor identification and instructing the friends to depart their telephones of their vehicles,’ the go well with reads. ‘In fact, Ms. Watley couldn’t do that as a result of she had are available in an Uber.’
Based on the criticism, it’s believed the guard, who checked Watley and her mates’ identification earlier than directing them to enter the ‘studio’ space of Harden’s pad, was armed with a gun.
Blackburn allegedly approached the three ladies in some unspecified time in the future within the early morning, although Watley claims she initially didn’t know he was Harden’s nephew.
Having launched himself, Blackburn is claimed to have supplied the trio a drink from the bottle of liquor he was holding, and after they every took a small sip from the bottle Watley claims her reminiscence from that time onwards is hazy. She additionally remembers one other lady asleep on a sofa within the studio.
She additionally alleges within the criticism that Blackburn repeatedly stated to her ‘come on, come on’ whereas tapping her on the chest, as if he needed her to hitch him someplace urgently.
The following factor she remembers, in response to the lawsuit, is ‘being shocked into consciousness whereas mendacity face down on a mattress with a person behind her having aggressive intercourse along with her.’
Watley claims she was in a ‘dream-like state and was not totally awake’ on the time of the alleged rape. As he then neared an orgasm, Blackburn is accused of demanding to know if she was on contraception. She remembers saying ‘no, no, no’ repeatedly earlier than realizing the person having intercourse along with her was Blackburn.
The plaintiff says within the criticism that she then started frantically on the lookout for her telephone and asking him the place it was. Blackburn allegedly indicated that he didn’t know its whereabouts.
Watley claims considered one of Harden’s safety guards entered the room shortly after and ordered her to depart the mansion, earlier than he kicked her out earlier than she might discover her telephone.
After telling him that she had no method of touring with out a telephone she alleges the guard advised her that ‘Elaina’ – which is her sister’s title – was coming to select her up, although it’s unclear how that had been organized. He then walked her to the entrance gates and closed them behind her.
Watley claims within the compaint that she stopped a lady strolling her canine and Harden’s neighbor for assist after leaving the property, earlier than her two mates pulled up in a automotive and he or she rapidly obtained in. She was then lastly in a position to name her sister at round 2:30pm.

Harden was in an eight-month relationship with Khloe Kardashian from 2015 to early 2016

Harden’s safety group had been conscious that Watley was in a susceptible state, her go well with alleges
The Texas lady alleges that she went to an emergency room on the identical day after struggling to get better mentally from what occurred, and he or she now speaks with a heavy stutter – a symptom of extreme trauma.
With the assistance of her sister, she is now looking for remedy and psychiatric assist.
Harden, who has an estimated web price of $200million, is now going through allegations of negligence after Watley claimed his safety personnel intentionally delayed and prevented her rescue from the property.
Her two mates are understood to have been frantically engaged for a number of hours in efforts to seek out and rescue her, having additionally misplaced consciousness shortly after consuming from Blackburn’s bottle earlier than later waking up, in response to the criticism.
Once they demanded the safety guards allow them to search for their pal, they declare one of many guards refused and advised them there have been no extra ladies in the home, the lawsuit says.
Regardless of lacking private objects themselves, and never being allowed to search for them, considered one of Watley’s mates discovered her iPhone and took it along with her.
After utilizing her telephone to get in contact with Elaina, in response to the criticism, Watley’s sister contacted a pal who was in a position to communicate with Harden’s sister Arnique. By way of the mutual pal, Elaina is claimed to have threatened that Watley’s mates had been ready to name the police if she was not discovered. Harden’s safety group are stated to have then kicked Watley out of the mansion shortly after.
Based on the lawsuit, Watley is looking for ‘financial, compensatory and punitive damages’ after the alleged incident.
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