Luke Walton Accuser Drops Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Coach

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kelli Tennant, who accused Kings coach Luke Walton of sexually assaulting her in 2014, has filed documents to drop her civil lawsuit against him, according to ESPN.

Tennant filed her request for dismissal in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday. ESPN reports the document asked the judge to dismiss with prejudice, meaning she cannot sue Walton again.

Tennant, a former Spectrum SportsNet LA host, filed the lawsuit against Walton in April 2019. She claimed Walton met her in a Santa Monica hotel room and "forced himself on her." Tennant reportedly "had a business relationship that went back several years [with Walton] and she wanted him to write a foreword." Walton authored the foreword to a book Tennant published in 2014.

In August, the Kings and the NBA closed their investigation after determining that there was "not a sufficient basis to support the allegations made against Coach Walton." Tennant elected not to participate in the investigation.

"I remain 100% focused on coaching the Kings and will have no further comment," Walton said in a statement.

Sacramento and the NBA launched an investigation two days after Tennant's press conference. More than twenty individuals were interviewed during the course of the investigation, including Walton, and numerous documents and other relevant materials were reviewed.

ESPN reports there is no indication that a settlement was reached between Walton and Tennant.