Derrick Rose, associates cleared in civil rape trial
A jury found Knicks guard Derrick Rose and two of his associates not liable in a civil sexual assault lawsuit on Wednesday, according to reporters in attendance.
Jane Doe, the plaintiff, accused Rose and two friends of raping her at her apartment in Los Angeles in the summer of 2013. She filed civil suit two years after the alleged assault. Doe has remained anonymous in the media to protect her identity.
Rose and his two associates, Ryan Allen and Randall Hampton, maintained that the sex they had with Doe that night was consensual, and were deemed not liable by the jury.
“I am thankful that the jury understood and agreed with me,” Rose said in a statement to the Associated Press. “This experience and my sensitivity to it was deep. I am ready to put this behind me and focus on my family and career.”
Doe alleged she blacked out and felt she had been drugged after hanging out and drinking at Rose’s Beverly Hills mansion earlier that night. She said she returned home, vomited, and awoke around 3 a.m. to find Rose, Allen and Hampton having sex with her. The three men said Doe let them into the apartment.
Doe had sued the Chicago Bulls star and his associates for roughly $21 million. It is still unclear whether the incident will lead to any type of suspension or other punishment from the NBA. Sneaker sponsor Adidas issued a statement supporting Rose.
The LAPD’s criminal investigation into the case remains ongoing. Nadine Hernandez, the detective leading the investigation, was found dead of a gunshot wound in her Los Angeles-area home last week.
Rose joined the Knicks from the Chicago Bulls this off-season. New York opens the season Oct. 25 in Cleveland against the Cavaliers.
- Jeremy Woo
