Derrick Rose Reportedly Sued, Accused of Raping Ex-Girlfriend
(CNN) A spokesperson for Rose denied the allegations, calling the lawsuit \"outrageous.\"
The Bulls also released a statement on the suit, per ESPN.com: \"We just learned about this matter and do not know all the facts. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.\"
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 that \"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.
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. She wants unspecified damages.\"
A spokesperson for the point guard 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.