James Harden is facing a new legal issue following his recent arrest, although this isn’t his first encounter with the court system.
In 2025, Harden was listed as a defendant in a lawsuit in Harris County, Texas. The suit was brought by a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by Harden’s nephew, Justice Armani Blackburn, during a New Year’s Eve event at Harden’s Houston residence in 2024, according to USA Today.
The plaintiff, Marisa Watley, alleged in the lawsuit that she attended the party with friends and was attacked while unconscious.
The complaint stated that Watley’s friends were escorted off the premises by security staff, leaving her inside the house.
Watley’s legal team claimed that her family and friends tried to find her that evening and reached out to individuals linked to Harden, including his sister, who is Blackburn’s mother.
The lawsuit asserted that the security staff did not adequately act on warnings about Watley still being inside the property.
Although Harden was not accused of being involved in the alleged assault, the lawsuit contended that he was negligent due to his security team’s actions and suggested that the incident could have been averted with proper measures.
The lawsuit also claimed Harden held “vicarious liability” for the behavior of the security staff employed at the venue.
