Dwight Howard forced his ex to pay $500,000 after infamously ugly ‘fatherhood’ dispute
Dwight Howard is one of the defining names in modern basketball.
Peak Dwight was a force akin to the best centers to play the game. Howard remains the only player to win 3 consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards and was arguably second only to LeBron James in the NBA player rankings during his heyday.
Howard was drafted No. 1 by the Orlando Magic in 2004. Dwight quickly became the centerpiece of their franchise and spent 8 years, which included an appearance in the NBA Finals with the Magic.
Also read: “I think one day I will have the recognition I deserve”: Dwight Howard believes he is a member of the Hall of Fame
However, once his stint with the Magic ended dramatically in 2012, Howard’s career found itself on a downhill trajectory. Injuries and co-star issues relegated Dwight from superstar status in the blink of an eye.
Off-court problems also began to pile up, taking a toll on Dwight even more. Howard was the father of five children; all with different women and the noise around them had also started to pile up.
In 2010, Howard was involved in a lawsuit with Royce Reed, a woman with whom he was romantically involved. Reed and Dwight reached a settlement in 2010, which meant Reed could no longer legally speak about the father of her child.
Reed, however, breached the settlement deed, and Dwight’s camp estimated the gap at $500 million.
How did Royce Reed commit a $500 million violation against Dwight Howard?
Royce Reed participated in basketball handcuffs, a popular 10-series reality show that is still airing. During his time on the air, Reed reportedly mentioned Dwight and his parental status at least 11 times.
This amounted to a breach of the settlement deed between Dwight and Reed on at least 11 separate occasions. Considering the fact that this affected Dwight’s reputation during the height of his powers, the problem would surely be lucrative.
Even then $500 million seems like a stretch. The amount claimed by Dwight’s camp is well beyond what Howard has earned in his career. Dwight’s legal team arrived at the figure due to the fact that more than a million viewers were now aware of the controversial paternity that Dwight had chosen to hide.
The matter dragged on in court. Reed and Dwight eventually agreed to settle the matter out of court for $500,000, a prudent move for all concerned.
Dwight may not have received his $500 million. But the fact that the matter was resolved would have been something that contributed to Dwight’s peace of mind.
Howard also saw a resurgence of his role-playing career, subsequently. Dwight even earned a ring during his time with LeBron James and the Lakers. He followed an NBA 75 omission, but a ring should offset some of that pain.
Also read: “Whatever reason Dwight Howard was left out, there’s more than basketball to it”: Lakers big man’s exclusion from NBA’s 75 greatest all-time players has Stan Van Gundy wondering
