Arthur Rabin, the apparel executive who founded Wear Me Apparel and was a co-owner of the Brooklyn Nets, is the defendant in a civil lawsuit filed in Manhattan in September 2025 by a woman who accuses him of drugging and sexually assaulting her at a Miami hotel. Rabin denies the allegations and, through his attorney, has called the suit an attempt at financial gain. A separate lawsuit Rabin himself brought against Citibank in late 2024 over forfeited credit card rewards points was dismissed in January 2026.
Who Filed the Sexual Assault Suit
Brenda Ramirez, described in court papers as a flight attendant and single mother, filed the complaint on September 29, 2025 in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County.1Wigdor LLP. Wigdor Files Sexual Assault Claims Against Apparel Magnate The case, Ramirez v. Rabin, carries Index Number 162806/2025 and has been assigned to Justice Judy H. Kim.2Docket Alarm. Brenda Ramirez v. Arthur Rabin, Index No. 162806/2025 Ramirez is represented by Meredith A. Firetog of Wigdor LLP.
What the Complaint Alleges
According to the complaint, Ramirez and Rabin first met on a commercial flight from New York to Miami in January 2022 and afterward kept up what she describes as a platonic friendship, with phone calls, occasional in-person meetings, gifts of clothing for her son, and sporadic wire transfers from Rabin.3New York Post. Former Brooklyn Nets Co-Owner Sexually Assaulted Single Mom, Suit Claims The suit alleges a 2023 dinner in Los Angeles at which Rabin became angry after Ramirez declined to go up to his hotel room and then cut off contact for months.
The central allegations concern the night of December 27, 2024. Ramirez says Rabin invited her to his suite at the W Hotel in South Beach, Florida, for a room-service dinner and offered her a bottle of champagne that he described as a gift from the hotel. She alleges the champagne tasted “flat,” that Rabin poured none for himself, and that after drinking it she felt sleepy and disoriented before losing consciousness.4Wigdor LLP. Ramirez v. Rabin Filed Complaint She says she woke naked in Rabin’s bed while he performed oral sex on her without her consent and that she could not speak or control her body. She alleges she woke again around 4 a.m., vomited, and left the room.3New York Post. Former Brooklyn Nets Co-Owner Sexually Assaulted Single Mom, Suit Claims
The complaint asserts two causes of action: assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Ramirez seeks compensatory and punitive damages, prejudgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and a declaratory judgment that Rabin’s conduct violated Florida law.4Wigdor LLP. Ramirez v. Rabin Filed Complaint As of the filing date, it was not publicly known whether Ramirez had also filed a police report.3New York Post. Former Brooklyn Nets Co-Owner Sexually Assaulted Single Mom, Suit Claims
Rabin’s Denial
Rabin’s attorney, Larry Hutcher of Davidoff Hutcher & Citron LLP, has denied the allegations. Hutcher said Ramirez “voluntarily showed up at Mr. Rabin’s hotel room and anything that occurred was consensual,” called the allegations “scurrilous,” and said they were “made solely for financial gain.” He added that Rabin “looks forward to vindicating his rights.”5Daily Mail. Ex-Nets Owner Democratic Fundraiser Sued Over Oral Sex In a version of the statement reported by the New York Post, Hutcher said Ramirez arrived at the room “bearing two mixed drinks that she secured from the bar.”3New York Post. Former Brooklyn Nets Co-Owner Sexually Assaulted Single Mom, Suit Claims
Where the Case Stands
The case is in discovery. As of March 2026, the docket shows a proposed protective order for the exchange of confidential information.2Docket Alarm. Brenda Ramirez v. Arthur Rabin, Index No. 162806/2025 No trial date has been set, and no settlement has been publicly reported.
Who Arthur Rabin Is
Rabin founded Wear Me Apparel in 1972 and built it into a large children’s and young men’s clothing business operating under the trade name Kids Headquarters, with licensed brands including Calvin Klein, Timberland, Rocawear, Disney, Marvel, and Nickelodeon. By 2008 the company reported roughly $700 million in annual net sales, with products sold at Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Walmart. In October 2009, Li & Fung Limited acquired substantially all of Wear Me Apparel’s assets for about $100 million upfront, with performance-based payments of up to $300 million over five years.6Li & Fung. Li & Fung Buys Leading Licensed Brand Company Wear Me Apparel
Rabin was also among the roughly 200 individual investors in the Bruce Ratner-led group that bought the New Jersey Nets in 2004 for $300 million. Fellow investors included Jay-Z, music executive Lyor Cohen, novelist Mary Higgins Clark, and entertainment lawyer Londell McMillan.7New York Post. Nets All-Tar Team: Bklyn-Bound Squad’s Big Bucks Owners Revealed He sold his stake in the franchise at some point before the 2025 lawsuit was filed.3New York Post. Former Brooklyn Nets Co-Owner Sexually Assaulted Single Mom, Suit Claims Former Nets star Jason Kidd, at his Basketball Hall of Fame induction in September 2018, called Rabin “like a dad to me.”8NetsDaily. Jason Kidd, Rod Thorn Officially Hall of Famers
The Separate Citibank Lawsuit
The Ramirez case is not the only recent lawsuit involving Rabin, and the two should not be confused. In late 2024, Rabin sued Citibank after the bank closed his Citi Prestige credit card and, he claimed, forfeited nearly 29.9 million ThankYou reward points he valued at about $300,000. Rabin said he had been a cardholder since 2015 and typically spent between $200,000 and $300,000 a month on the card. Citibank cited repeated closures tied to lost or stolen cards and unusual activity when it shut the account in August 2024. Rabin also contested roughly $151,000 in charges he said were unauthorized.9New York Post. Former Brooklyn Nets Co-Owner Sues Citibank Over Closed Card
Citibank removed the case to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where it was captioned Rabin v. Citibank, N.A., No. 1:24-cv-09745, before Judge John P. Cronan. On January 20, 2026, the case was dismissed with prejudice by stipulation. Counterclaims Citibank had brought against Rabin in a separate American Arbitration Association proceeding were dismissed without prejudice. Terms of any resolution were not made public.10PACER Monitor. Rabin v. Citibank, N.A., Case No. 1:24-cv-09745