The lawyer representing the family of the underage girl at the centre of the scandal involving Australian basketballer Josh Giddey has confirmed her clients declined to speak to police investigators, as they closed the case on Thursday.
High-profile lawyer Gloria Allred, who specialises in sexual harassment and women’s rights and has handled a number of cases brought against celebrities in the US, said the primary reason they did not talk to police was to protect their privacy.
“It does not surprise me that law enforcement would close their investigation since our client is a minor and her parents have chosen not to speak to law enforcement to protect their privacy,” Allred said in a statement to this masthead.
Giddey, when asked about the end of the police investigation before the Oklahoma Thunder’s game against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Friday, said he had no comment.
“I get that you have to ask that, but I have no comment regarding that situation,” he told reporters.
It was the same comment he offered when initially asked about the allegations, two days after they first arose on social media in November.
Australian basketballer Josh Giddey.Credit: AP
Giddey was dropped from a multimillion-dollar Weet-Bix sponsorship last month following the allegations of an inappropriate relationship with the girl, with Sanitarium ending its deal with the 21-year-old NBA star.
Sanitarium did not respond to inquiries relating to the reason behind its decision or the nature of the sponsorship, which has been reported to be worth $40 million.
“We’ve nothing further to add to the fact that our agreement with Josh expired on 31 December 2023,” a spokesperson said.
On Wednesday (US time), the Newport Beach Police Department said it would not continue with the investigation, and no charges had been filed.
“Our detectives have reviewed all of the available information regarding allegations circulating on social media and were unable to corroborate any criminal activity,” crime prevention specialist Heather Rangel said.
The NBA has not closed its investigation, and spokesman Michael Bass said Wednesday that the league is aware of the findings in the police investigation and is “continuing our review” of the matter.
Giddey has played throughout the investigations. He largely has been cheered at home games 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 NBA 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 last year, he averaged a team-high 19.4 points for an Australia team that went 3-2.
With AP
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