In a year where sexual assault and confidential settlements across Hollywood and politics is making headlines, an alleged incident with a professional athlete is coming to light. Detroit Pistons shooting guard Avery Bradley paid off a woman accusing him of sexual assault earlier this year in order to keep her quiet and protect his reputation.
According to TMZ Sports,, the alleged attack took place on May 23 in Cleveland, Ohio during the NBA playoffs. The seven-year NBA veteran reportedly raped the reality TV star- her name was withheld – while she was passed out drunk in a hotel room. At the time, Bradley was a member of the Boston Celtics who were playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After the incident, the woman contacted Bradley and the two worked out a monetary deal preventing the woman from coming forward with any details of the encounter, which included videos, photos, or audio. Bradley’s lawyer says he paid to protect his reputation and keep a false claim from being leaked. The amount is reported to be as high as $400,000 – a number that came up during negotiations – but the final dollar amount is unknown. Bradley reportedly maintained his innocence in the settlement documents.
“My office will take all appropriate action against all persons involved in the wrongful disclosure of this agreement. We will conduct a thorough investigation into who is responsible for this wrongful disclosure,” said Bradley’s attorney, Brian Wolf of Lavely & Singer.
Some wonder why an innocent man would pay off an accuser. It should be noted that Avery has been married since 2015. He met his wife Ashley via Facebook through a mutual friend when he was 19.
