Zion Williamson is fighting to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a woman in May 2025. According to the accuser, identified as Jane Doe, they were in a multi-year relationship, which Williamson has now denied, describing their relationship as a consensual “friends with benefits” arrangement.
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On Tuesday, TMZ reported that Williamson claimed his relationship with Doe was nothing more than a consensual “friends with benefits” arrangement, and he denied ever assaulting her.
According to new legal documents obtained by TMZ, the New Orleans Pelicans star issued a general denial of every allegation in Jane Doe’s complaint.
Doe had sued Williamson in Los Angeles in May 2025. The 12-page civil complaint alleged that the two had been involved since Williamson’s freshman year at Duke in 2018 and remained connected until 2023. She accused him of a “continuing pattern of abusive, controlling and threatening behavior.”
Williamson has now responded in court and is seeking to have the lawsuit thrown out.
The 26-year-old is also arguing that several of Doe’s claims are barred by the applicable statutes of limitations. His filing further maintains that no such alleged conduct happened in the locations mentioned in the lawsuit – California, North Carolina, Texas, and Louisiana – or anywhere else.
The original complaint also contained allegations about Williamson’s condition during some of the alleged incidents. According to the suit, “when many of the wrongful acts were committed,” Zion Williamson “was either drunk or on c******.”
The complaint also described Williamson’s alleged threats against her and her family. There are several incidents of physical harm mentioned in the lawsuit, but the allegations contained in the civil complaint have not been established as facts in court.
In May 2025, after the lawsuit was filed, Doe’s attorney, Sam E. Taylor of The Lanier Law Firm, told TMZ:
“We don’t want to litigate this case in the media. But I will say this is a very serious case as reflected in the pleadings that have been filed and our client looks forward to her day in court to seek justice in this matter.”
Zion Williamson’s legal team issued a strong denial when the lawsuit was filed in 2025. His attorney called the accusations “categorically false and reckless.”
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them. The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless,” Zion’s attorney told TMZ. “This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”
His lawyers also claimed the “consensual, casual relationship” began when Williamson was 18 and ended years ago without Doe raising concerns during or immediately afterward. They said she later demanded millions of dollars after the relationship ended.
His attorney said an arrest warrant was understood to have been issued in connection with that report and said Williamson planned to pursue counterclaims and damages.
The woman continues to pursue the case and says she wants the allegations heard in court. For Zion Williamson, the latest filing shifts the focus from the allegations themselves to whether the lawsuit can proceed at all. His team is asking the court to dismiss the complaint.