In the later hours of Wednesday night, TMZ released a shocking report on Chicago Bulls superstar point guard Derrick Rose and the accusation that Rose (and two friends) sexually assaulted his ex-girlfriend.
Before I get started with the timeline of last night’s accusations, let me start by saying that rape is not something to be joked about. It’s a serious crime and should not be taken lightly.
When you watch Derrick Rose speak in front of a camera, two things catch your eye: 1) He doesn’t feel comfortable in front of it and 2) he tries to say as little as possible.
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Rose possesses such a mild demeanor and humble attitude. Like the commercials always say, he’s just a quiet kid from the Englewood District on the South Side of Chicago, IL. He’s been a folk hero in the city of Chicago since being drafted first overall to the Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA Draft.
However, the last four years have been a tough road for Rose, as he battled through three serious knee injuries after becoming the youngest player in history to win the NBA MVP award. And, if the new allegations towards Rose are true, the four-year uphill fight will reach a new difficulty.
Late on Wednesday night, TMZ Sports released a report that Rose’s ex-girlfriend (named “Jane Doe” in the report) has accused Rose and two of his friends (one being his personal manager) of drugging and gang raping her back in August 2013. Rose and the accuser dated from 2011-2013, according to the report.
Here’s a bulk of TMZ’s report on the accuser and Rose’s situation. (WARNING: There are some NSFW sexual details involved in the report.)
"Rose’s accuser says the two continued to date until August 2013, when Rose and two friends, Ryan Allen and Randall Hampton (who is also Rose’s personal manager), invited her to Rose’s Beverly Hills house. She says there, they slipped a drug into her drink with the aim of raping her. The plaintiff says she escaped the house with a friend, but later that night, Rose and his friends broke into her apartment and gang raped her while she was incapacitated. She says she remembers only “flashes” of the incident, but can remember the defendants forcibly raping her. She claims she waited for two years to file the suit because she was “ashamed and embarrassed” of what happened and concerned her “conservative family” would find out.She wants unspecified damages.(TMZ.com)"
After the report sent shockwaves through the web, a spokesperson for Derrick Rose, presumably his lawyer Lisa Cohen, spoke on the situation including Rose and the accuser:
"The plaintiff’s allegations are completely false and without any factual basis. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shake down a highly respected and successful athlete. Mr. Rose was in a non-exclusive, consensual sexual relationship with the plaintiff for over two years. The plaintiff expressed no complaints about Mr. Rose until various lawyers began to surface and demand that the plaintiff be paid millions of dollars. … This is the third lawyer the plaintiff has retained in this matter. Two years have passed since Mr. Rose ended the consensual relationship with the plaintiff, and her claims are as meritless now as they were two years ago. We have complete confidence that the case will be dismissed and that Mr. Rose will be vindicated. This lawsuit is outrageous.(Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal)"
Personally, I don’t even know where to begin.
This is serious situation that shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially in the light of the recent allegations in the sporting world (and entertainment world) towards sexual assault. Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane has also been accused of rape in his hometown of Buffalo after the Blackhawks won their third Stanley Cup in the last six years.
- First thing’s first: Consider the source.
- Second, athletes and celebrities aren’t always what you expect them to be.
- Wait until ALL of the facts are presented to the public.
- Lastly, it’s “innocent until proven guilty”.
I’m sure we all have questions about the situation. Why would the accuser wait two whole years to say something? Could Rose really be capable of pulling something as diabolical as what he’s accused of doing?
Regardless of what your questions or thoughts are, I personally ask you to wait until every fact is presented before doing or saying something you’d regret later. Obviously, as Bulls fans, we hope this accuser is wrong. This is Derrick Rose we’re talking about here. The quiet Chicago kid who has electrified the NBA with his play, his heart and will to win.
But, as human beings, we should hope this situation is handled properly and lives aren’t completely damaged in the process.
UPDATE – The Derrick Rose accuser’s full legal complaint (in graphic detail) has been released:
NEWEST UPDATE – Derrick Rose speaks on the allegations that he raped his ex-girlfriend:
For the full statement from Rose, click the link in the tweet above.
Next: The 'D-Rose 6 Road' shoes released by adidas on social media
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