Lawyer reveals why police couldn’t charge NBA star Josh Giddey
- Giddey was cleared of any wrongdoing on Wednesday by Newport Beach Police
- He was cut from a $40M, 4-year deal with Australian breakfast cereal Weet-Bix
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The Californian high school student who allegedly had a relationship with NBA star Josh Giddey refused to talk to detectives in order to protect her privacy, according to an Australian tabloid.
The 21-year-old guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder will not face charges after a criminal investigation was closed on Wednesday by the Newport Beach Police Department – a month and a half after explosive allegations that Giddey started an improper relationship with the underage girl came to surface.
The girl’s parents hired Gloria Allred – an American attorney known for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, particularly those involving the protection of women’s rights – after photos and videos of their daughter with Giddey were widely shared on social media in November. Allred represented the family of O.J. Simpson’s murdered ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and worked with clients in cases that included Bill Cosby and R. Kelly.
Publicly commenting on the case for the first time, Ms. Allred revealed that the girl’s family had declined to be interviewed by detectives.
‘It does not surprise me that law enforcement would close their investigation since our client is a minor and her parent have chosen not to speak to law enforcement to protect their privacy,’ she told The Herald Sun, which is based in Melbourne.
Giddey has not commented on the issue, and the NBA is still conducting its own investigation into the allegations, according to spokesman Michael Bass, who said on Wednesday that the league is aware of the findings in the police investigation and is ‘continuing our review’ of the matter.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Newport Beach Police confirmed it would not press charges on Giddey, saying its detectives were ‘unable to corroborate any criminal activity’ from the allegations after a ‘thorough and exhaustive examination,’ according a spokesman.
In a since-deleted post, an anonymous social media user said in November that a girl who is seen with the Australian in videos and photographs was a high school junior at the time.
Giddey turned 21 in October, but was 19 at the time of the alleged encounter and believed the girl was the same age. He then learned that she was a 15-year-old high school student before cutting ties
What’s more is, that Giddey has played
throughout the investigations, as he has been largely cheered at home and jeered throughout road games. He is averaging 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game for an Oklahoma City team that is off to a 27-13 start, second-best in the Western Conference.
Giddey was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021
draft and was named to the All-Rookie second team during the 2021-2022 season. Last season, he averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists. At the World Cup this past summer, he averaged a team-high 19.4 points for an Australia team that went 3-2.
Despite being cleared of any criminal activity, Giddey was dropped by Australian breakfast cereal Weet-Bix, according to The Herald Sun.
He had signed a lucrative $40million, four-year deal with the brand to serve as its ambassador in 2021.