A Factual Timeline of Dwight Howard’s Public Responses to Persistent Sexuality Rumours From the 2019 Fox Sports Interview and 2023 Stephen Harper Lawsuit to the Dismissed Civil Case in 2024 and His Repeated “Hell No, I’m Not Gay” Statement Reiterated on Podcast in June 2025…

Dwight Howard’s sexuality has been one of the most persistently discussed topics surrounding the retired NBA Hall of Famer not because he has ever confirmed anything beyond what he states directly, but because a series of legal cases, social media moments, and public statements have kept the conversation alive across sports media for nearly a decade. Howard has responded to every public inquiry about his orientation with the same consistent position: he is not gay. The most recent reiteration came in June 2025 on an episode of the P Podcast, where he stated bluntly: “Hell no. I’m not gay!”

Where the Rumours Began: The 2015 Bench Incident

Howard traces the origin of the public speculation about his sexuality to a specific moment during his time with the Houston Rockets in 2015. Camera footage captured him appearing to touch the groin area of teammate Isaiah Canaan while seated on the bench. The clip spread widely, and Howard addressed it directly: he explained that he grabbed Canaan’s thigh, not his genitalia, and that the angle made the contact look different from what it actually was. He told interviewers: “People were trying to portray it as something really bizarre. I just kind of grabbed his thigh, and it looked really bad.”​

The 2019 Lawsuit and His Fox Sports Statement

In 2018–2019, a self-identified gay man named Masin Elije filed a lawsuit against Howard, alleging that the two had been in a relationship and that Howard attempted to force him to sign a non-disclosure agreement to suppress the details. Howard denied the claims fully and consistently described them as false. Elije had previously made similar accusations against other public figures that proved unfounded.

Howard addressed the Elije lawsuit in a two-part interview on Fox Sports 1’s Fair Game with Kristine Leahy on July 16, 2019. He said: “I’m not gay. It hurt at first to go through it. I sat at home and I was like, ‘I never want to come outside again.'” He also described how the experience paradoxically gave him a sense of liberation — not about his orientation, but about the broader experience of facing public judgment: “It really set me free. I witnessed a torrent of hate from people I had never met. Many are afraid to embrace who they truly are.” He added: “It’s a lot of people who are [gay] and they have to hide. I don’t want to wear no mask. I just want to be.”

The 2023 Stephen Harper Lawsuit: What the Court Records Show

In July 2023, a man named Stephen Harper filed a civil lawsuit against Howard, alleging sexual assault and battery during an encounter at Howard’s Georgia residence on the night of July 19–20, 2021. Harper alleged that he had exchanged messages with Howard on Instagram and agreed to meet for a sexual encounter, but that upon arrival, another individual was present and both men forced Harper to participate in sexual activity.​

In a court filing obtained by ESPN in October 2023, Howard denied the assault allegations but admitted to engaging in “consensual sexual activity” with Harper — a statement his legal team framed as evidence that the encounter was voluntary. Howard’s attorneys alleged that Harper doctored key text messages and that the lawsuit represented an attempt at extortion after demands for payment went unfulfilled. They wrote in a December 2023 filing: “Mr. Harper told Mr. Howard in text that he would ‘get my parade’ based on taking the private relationship public… When these threats and several demands for money went unfulfilled, Mr. Harper filed the instant lawsuit as revenge.”

In an Instagram Live broadcast in October 2023, Howard said publicly: “Whatever I do in my bedroom is my business. I don’t need to explain where I put my wood.” He declined to clarify his orientation in that session while simultaneously denying the assault.​

The Case Is Dismissed: What the 2024 Court Records Confirm

The civil lawsuit filed by Stephen Harper against Dwight Howard was officially dropped in August 2024, according to court records reported by CBS Sports. No criminal charges emerged from the case. Howard’s legal team had consistently pursued dismissal from the moment of filing, and the case’s conclusion without a verdict or settlement means no court determined any factual findings about the nature of the encounter.​

A federal judge had previously declined Howard’s motion to dismiss the case in early 2024, ruling that Harper’s allegations were sufficient to proceed to further proceedings. Harper’s attorney Olga Izmaylova stated at that time: “We are glad the court denied Mr. Howard’s motion and look forward to proving our client’s case.” The subsequent voluntary dismissal came before any trial date.

Howard’s Most Recent Statement: June 2025 Podcast

The question resurfaced in June 2025 when Howard appeared on an episode of the P Podcast a conversation in which the topic of his sexuality came up directly. His response was identical in substance to every previous denial: “Hell no. I’m not gay!”​

He has now made this statement publicly across at least three distinct time periods 2019, 2023, and 2025 in formats ranging from national television interviews to Instagram Live sessions to podcast appearances.​

What Howard Has Actually Confirmed: A Factual Summary

Drawing only from verified public statements and court records, the following facts are established:

• Howard has denied being gay in every public setting where the question has been raised — in 2019, 2023, and 2025​
• Howard’s legal team confirmed a consensual sexual encounter with Harper, a man, in October 2023 court filings​
• The civil lawsuit filed by Harper was dismissed in August 2024 without a trial or judicial factual finding​
• Howard has never publicly confirmed, denied, or defined his sexual orientation beyond stating he is not gay​
• Howard has previously stated: “Whatever I do in my bedroom is my business” declining to discuss private matters beyond that framing​

Dwight Howard has said “I’m not gay” consistently across six years of public questioning but the conversation keeps resurfacing, raising broader questions about privacy, public figures, and who gets to define their own narrative.

Do you think the public discussion around Howard’s sexuality is fair, or has it crossed the line into something that no public figure should face? Share your perspective in the comments.