The James Harden lawsuit filed in June 2025 accuses the NBA guard of negligence after his nephew allegedly raped a woman at Harden’s Houston mansion following a New Year’s Eve party, with the complaint focused on the conduct of Harden’s private security team rather than any allegation that Harden took part in or knew about the assault.1NBC News. NBA Star James Harden Accused of Negligence in Sexual Assault Lawsuit Involving Nephew
Who Filed the Suit and What They Want
The case is Watley v. Blackburn, Harden, & John Doe Security Guards, filed on June 23, 2025, in the District Court of Harris County, Texas. The plaintiff, Marisa Watley, is described in reporting as a 40-year-old real estate agent. She is seeking economic, compensatory, and punitive damages in excess of $100,000, and has requested a jury trial.1NBC News. NBA Star James Harden Accused of Negligence in Sexual Assault Lawsuit Involving Nephew
The complaint names four sets of defendants: Harden’s 27-year-old nephew Justice Armani Blackburn, for sexual assault; Harden himself, for negligence and negligent supervision; unidentified guards listed as “John Doe Security Guards 1-10”; and the unnamed corporate employer of those guards.2Wigdor Law. Watley v. Blackburn, Harden, John Doe Security Guards – Plaintiff’s Original Petition Watley is represented by Wigdor LLP of New York and Ellwanger Henderson LLLP in Texas.3The Athletic. James Harden Lawsuit Sexual Assault Negligence Clippers
What the Complaint Alleges Happened
According to the petition, Watley and two friends met Harden’s group at a Houston club called Polekatz on the night of December 31, 2024. Around 3:30 a.m., they took a ride-share to Harden’s Rivercrest estate for an after-party. On arrival, an armed guard at the gate checked identification and told guests to leave their phones in their cars. The gates were then locked behind them.2Wigdor Law. Watley v. Blackburn, Harden, John Doe Security Guards – Plaintiff’s Original Petition
Inside, Blackburn allegedly offered Watley a drink from a bottle. She says she became incapacitated, lost consciousness, and was “shocked into consciousness” while Blackburn was sexually assaulting her and asking whether she was on birth control.2Wigdor Law. Watley v. Blackburn, Harden, John Doe Security Guards – Plaintiff’s Original Petition
The heart of the case against the guards is a timeline the complaint reconstructs from that morning. Around 10:00 a.m. on January 1, Watley’s two friends came to and were escorted out by security, who told them there were “no more women in the house.” At 10:44 a.m., one friend called Watley’s sister Elaina to report her missing. Through a mutual contact, Elaina reached Harden’s sister Arnique Jelks, who is also Blackburn’s mother. Jelks, who was not at the mansion, contacted the security team. The guards told her there was “a girl in Justice’s room” and asked for a photo. After receiving it, the complaint says, the guards falsely told Jelks the woman in the room was not Watley. At 1:24 p.m., Elaina warned she was calling police. Five minutes later the guards confirmed Watley was in Blackburn’s room. Jelks reportedly replied, “Why is your friend in that room with a 27-year-old loser?”2Wigdor Law. Watley v. Blackburn, Harden, John Doe Security Guards – Plaintiff’s Original Petition
Watley alleges the assault occurred during that stretch of stalling, and that the delays may have signaled to Blackburn that people were looking for her, prompting him to “hurry to rape and/or finish raping” her. She reported the alleged rape to police on New Year’s Day. The complaint says she now suffers from a “heavy stutter” she attributes to the trauma of the incident.1NBC News. NBA Star James Harden Accused of Negligence in Sexual Assault Lawsuit Involving Nephew
Why Harden Is Named as a Defendant
Harden is not accused of the assault. The theory against him is that as the homeowner who employed and directed the security operation, he is responsible for what those guards did and failed to do. The complaint pleads four causes of action: sexual assault against Blackburn; negligence against Harden, the guards, and their corporate employer; negligent rescue against the same defendants for lying about Watley’s location and delaying help; and negligent supervision against Harden and the security company for failing to train guards to protect incapacitated guests or respond to foreseeable threats of sexual violence.2Wigdor Law. Watley v. Blackburn, Harden, John Doe Security Guards – Plaintiff’s Original Petition
The petition argues that by taking guests’ phones, controlling access, and locking the gates, the guards created what it calls a “special relationship” with the people inside, one that under Texas law can give rise to a heightened duty of care. It further contends the guards were on notice of the danger because multiple women were visibly passed out throughout the house, because Watley’s friends and family were actively calling for help, and because the guards allegedly knew Blackburn had a history of “threatening, violent and abusive conduct, particularly when he drinks alcohol.” The filing cites a prior criminal trespassing conviction involving allegations of threatening behavior toward a woman.2Wigdor Law. Watley v. Blackburn, Harden, John Doe Security Guards – Plaintiff’s Original Petition
The lawsuit also alleges a pattern by the security team of “quickly ejecting passed-out women from Mr. Harden’s mansion as soon as they woke up — but not before,” and says additional groups of women were removed from the property around the time Harden himself left.3The Athletic. James Harden Lawsuit Sexual Assault Negligence Clippers Had the guards “acted responsibly in response to the outside calls for help and the photo,” the complaint contends, the assault could have been prevented.4Wigdor Law. Wigdor Files Complaint of Sexual Assault and Negligence Involving NBA Superstar James Harden
Responses and Where the Case Stands
Harden’s representatives declined to comment when contacted by The Athletic on the day the suit was filed. The LA Clippers, his NBA team, also did not comment publicly, and no statement from Blackburn or his representatives appeared in initial reporting.3The Athletic. James Harden Lawsuit Sexual Assault Negligence Clippers
Watley’s attorneys said in a joint statement that she “has shown great strength and courage in coming forward to hold Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden accountable,” adding that “this rape was immediately reported to the police, and we will bring Mr. Blackburn and Mr. Harden to justice through the civil justice system.”4Wigdor Law. Wigdor Files Complaint of Sexual Assault and Negligence Involving NBA Superstar James Harden
As of the most recent available reporting, no criminal charges had been filed against Blackburn or anyone else connected to the incident, and no motions, hearings, or rulings in the civil case had been publicly reported.5Click2Houston. James Harden Sued for Negligence in Alleged Sexual Assault Committed by Nephew at Houston Mansion
A Note on Harden’s Earlier Civil Case
The 2025 suit is separate from an older matter that sometimes surfaces in searches. In November 2013, a man named Barak Golan sued Harden in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging Harden punched him through the window of an SUV outside a West Hollywood nightclub. That case included claims for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, sought over $1 million in damages, and was resolved by settlement in June 2015 on terms not publicly disclosed.6CBS News Los Angeles. Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Alleging Rockets’ Harden Punched Lakers Fan7Daily News. Lakers Fan, Rockets’ James Harden Reach Settlement After Alleged Assault It has no connection to the Watley case.