TMZ: Kings' Luke Walton Denies Sexual Assault Allegations in New Court Documents
July 5, 2019
Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton has filed court documents denying allegations of sexual assault brought forward by former Spectrum SportsNet LA reporter Kelli Tennant in April.
On Friday, TMZ Sports reported Walton states he did meet with Tennant in a California hotel room in 2014 but said she initiated the meeting and it remained "platonic."
Walton, who was an assistant for the Golden State Warriors at the time, said Tennant also embellished the level of their relationship. He said he didn't write the foreword for her book and didn't serve as a broadcasting mentor for her before the meeting, per TMZ.
The Kings coach also said he won't settle the case and will fight the allegations in court.
In April, Tennant held a press conference and said she feared Walton "was going to rape me" during the encounter.
"When someone assaults you and you think you're going to be raped, coming forward is a scary thing," she told reporters. "I have spent years now hoping I could bury it. I was able to muster up the courage ... to talk about this."
Tennant added further allegations to the original lawsuit last month, according to Olivia Degennaro of Fox 40.
"The new complaint added to this lawsuit is the seventh complaint and it alleges that all defendants negligently breached the Duty of Due Care, exposing Tennant to physical and emotional damages," the report noted.
Sacramento, which hired Walton shortly before the allegations surfaced, has retained him while the NBA investigates the situation.