A civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault and battery against former NBA star Dwight Howard has been dismissed in Georgia's Gwinnett County Court. The lawsuit, filed by Stephen Harper in July 2023, was dismissed with prejudice, preventing Harper from refiling the same claims. Harper accused Howard of sexual assault, false imprisonment, and emotional distress from a July 2021 encounter, which Howard claimed was consensual. Howard's attorney stated no money was paid to Harper for dropping the suit. The dismissal allows Howard to put the legal battle behind him, although it remains unlikely he will return to the NBA. Harper's initial complaint included messages between the two and an Uber receipt from the night of the incident.