NBA player Josh Giddey has been cleared of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor after leaked images of the two in 2021.
NBA player for Oklahoma City Thunder, Josh Giddey, 21, was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl when he was 19 years old.
The two allegedly met at a California nightclub in 2021 when the girl was 16 years old. However, the unnamed girl was given access to the club via fake ID, leading Giddey to believe she was older.
Though Giddey has been cleared of inappropriate behavior with a minor, he’s received incessant booing from NBA fans after photos and videos of him dancing with the minor surfaced online in 2023.
Josh Giddey cleared of statutory rape charges with minor
Giddey, who is in the middle of his four-year $41M rookie contract, was seen dancing with a young blonde over two years ago. Though he said he did not know she was under 18, the two’s encounter went viral.
Sources close to the OKC shooting guard have claimed that their relationship was brief, “Multiple sources have confirmed it was a one-night encounter and was ended the next day when Giddey was made aware she was at high school.”
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After images and videos of Giddey and the girl were leaked in November 2023, the minor and her family have been reluctant to cooperate with authorities, making prosecution a difficult feat.
Had Giddey been arrested and convicted, he could have faced statutory rape charges, as the age of consent in California is 18.
Though the claims arose in the middle of Giddey’s third year with the NBA, he continued to play despite the negative reactions received from fans.
When asked during a press conference about his relations with the minor, Giddey responded, “Yeah, I mean I understand the question obviously. But there’s no further comment right now.”
As of now, Giddey has been cleared of all accusations of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor.
