Zion Williamson, star player for the New Orleans Pelicans, is facing a serious legal battle after being accused of rape and physical abuse in a lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court. The complaint comes from a woman proceeding under the pseudonym Jane Doe, who alleges she was in a relationship with Williamson from 2018 to 2023.

According to the lawsuit, the woman accuses Williamson, 24, of raping her twice in Beverly Hills in 2020 — once at his residence in September and again the following month at an unspecified location. She also claims a pattern of ongoing abuse occurred in multiple states over the five-year period.

Michael A. Balascio, Williamson’s attorney, responded to the lawsuit with a firm denial, calling the filing “an extortion attempt.” In a statement, he said, “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them. The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless.”

Neither the NBA nor the Pelicans have issued public responses regarding the accusations.

In the complaint, the woman alleges that in the first encounter, Williamson became aggressive when she tried to go to sleep. He allegedly insulted her, calling her “stuck up” and “a bitch,” and insisted she could not sleep until she had sex with him. The lawsuit claims that when she refused, he pinned her hands behind her back and raped her.

The second incident allegedly occurred after the woman expressed plans to visit a friend in San Diego. The lawsuit says Williamson responded by picking her up, throwing her to the ground, and pinning her shoulders down before assaulting her.

The complaint also states that Williamson confiscated her phone after both alleged assaults, preventing her from reporting them. It further alleges a pattern of continued abuse across California, Louisiana, and Texas, lasting until the end of their relationship in 2023.

In a particularly disturbing claim, the woman alleges that Williamson threatened to have his security guard shoot her “in the head” on multiple occasions between 2020 and 2023, often while armed security was present. She also accuses him of threatening to harm her parents.

Williamson, currently a power forward for the Pelicans, entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft following a standout season at Duke University. The new legal developments could have major implications for his career as the allegations unfold in court.