Published 11:38 IST, December 6th 2019
NBA: Luke Walton to walk scot free after court drops sexual assault case against him
Kelli Tennant, the woman who accused Kings coach Luke Walton of sexual assault, has decided to drop her case. Tennant cannot file another case against Walton
- SportFit
- 2 min read
The Sacramento Kings have been making headlines in the NBA this season. However, it is not so much for their NBA exploits. Kings coach Luke Walton was earlier accused of sexual assault by a sports reporter named Kelli Tennant. Tennant though has now decided to drop the lawsuit she filed against Walton earlier this year.
NBA: Luke Walton sexual assault case
Kelli Tennant, a former Spectrum SportsNet LA host, filed a sexual lawsuit case against Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton in April 2019. Tennant claimed that Luke Walton met her in a Santa Monica hotel room and tried to force himself on her. Tennant said that Walton kissed her, and when she asked him to get off, the now Kings coach laughed at her. Kelli Tennant reportedly had a business relationship with Luke Walton that went back a number of years. She approached Walton since she wanted him to write a foreword for a book Tennant was about to publish. Luke Walton was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors at the time.
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In August, investigators from the Sacramento Kings and the NBA determined that there was insufficient evidence to support Kelli Tennant's sexual assault allegations. Earlier this week, Tennant filed her request for dismissal in the Los Angeles Superior Court. According to ESPN reports, the document asked the judge to dismiss the case with prejudice, which means she cannot sue Walton again. The statement from the Sacramento Kings and the NBA at the time said that Walton had not participated in the investigation. When asked to make a comment on the allegations and the dropped lawsuit this week, Luke Walton replied by saying that he remains completely focused on coaching the Kings for their upcoming NBA game against San Antonio Spurs and refused to make any further comments on the situation.
Updated 12:05 IST, December 6th 2019