Detroit Pistons shooting guard Avery Bradley paid off a woman accusing him of sexual assault earlier this year in order to keep her quiet, according to TMZ Sports.
The report alleges that the attack took place on May 23 in Cleveland, Ohio, and that the seven-year NBA veteran raped the woman, a reality TV star who has withheld her name, while she was passed out drunk in a hotel room. At the time, Bradley was a member of the Boston Celtics who were in the city playing against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Following 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, such as videos, photos, or audio. Although figures as high as $400,000 were reportedly discussed during negotiations, the final dollar amount arrived at remains unknown.
Despite all of this information being brought to light, Bradley's attorney Brian Wolf says the Pistons guard has fully denied the claims against him and only entered the agreement to stop the spread of false information.
In a statement made to TMZ Sports, Wolf states, "Mr. Bradley absolutely denies having engaged in wrongdoing whatsoever. The confidentiality agreement specifically refutes and denies the validity of all allegations of any wrongful conduct by Mr. Bradley. The sole purpose of the agreement was to protect the reputation and privacy of Mr. Bradley and his family." He would go on to add, "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."
Bradley has been in the NBA for seven seasons, and this is his first with the Detroit Pistons. He has yet to make a statement of his own on the matter.
