Luke sued for sexual assault by reporter Kelli Tennant, Luke's lawyer calls her an opportunist

[myersia]

She left a broadcasting career in LA that most people would die for. I hope Luke wasn't the reason.

Yeah, she seems to have fallen into mental health issues quite quickly once Luke got there. She also seems like a self-help guru and a high-empath being so she doesn't really seem like the opportunistic type.

I think it's highly likely what she said has happened. I'm not on the jury but from a pure probability standing it doesn't look good for Luke at all.

He will hand over half his new contract for her silence.

More than that I think he never coaches the Kings. This girl seems credible which is bad for Luke. This could be really bad for him and his family. Hopefully he can learn and grow from this if true.


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[mighty_duck]

I think it's highly likely what she said has happened. I'm not on the jury but from a pure probability standing it doesn't look good for Luke at all.

If we're going in to speculation mode, these points run counter to that:
1. She waited 3 years to report it.
2. She filed civil, not criminal charges.
3. She went up to Luke's hotel room. While obviously that in itself is not consent to sex, you can forgive a guy if he construes that as flirty behavior and makes a move, then backs off when told to.
4. After that incident, she mentions many cases of hugs and kisses in encounters. If it was really that bad, hugs aren't so hard to avoid.
5. “Walton would make implied threats of additional physical threats through his conduct.”. Adding to the accuser's mental issues you mentioned, most of this might just be in her head or in the way she perceived things. Not sure how you defend yourself against such accusations.

In the end, it will probably be settled and both parties move on.

[NBAWestFan]

Seems odd to wait so long but anything is possible

sounds like Luke drank one too many and got the wrong idea and he was not able to get a clue what she meant.

Civil means she was not all that bad with it at the time or she would have filed criminal charges but now she sees he is a Coach bound to make millions after getting the boot from the Lakers he gets another job.

That must upset her and she thinks she should have cashed in her story before.

[Sushisensei26]

I really hope this isn't true. But in this environment that stuff like proof has taken a back seat unfortunately.

No matter what happens Luke will pay for it one way or another. Even if the whole thing is bogus it will create doubts for his significant other effecting their relationship and has sullied his name forever.

[gts1]

Santa Monica police said Tuesday that officials never received a report accusing former Lakers coach Luke Walton of sexual assault, and they are not currently investigating allegations made by a sports reporter.

In a civil lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, former Spectrum SportsNet host Kelli Tennant alleges that Walton assaulted her at the Casa del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica while he was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.
No date was given for the alleged assault, but the suit says it happened after the publication of a book written by Tennant, for which Walton wrote a foreword. The book, “The Transition: Every Athlete’s Guide to Life After Sports,” was published in 2014.

“There has been no report made to the Santa Monica Police Department,” Lt. Candice Cobarrubias said in a statement. “No investigation is ongoing.”

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-luke-walton-allegations-santa-monica-police-20190423-story.html

[MelosSoreWrist]

I think it's highly likely what she said has happened. I'm not on the jury but from a pure probability standing it doesn't look good for Luke at all.

If we're going in to speculation mode, these points run counter to that:
1. She waited 3 years to report it.
2. She filed civil, not criminal charges.
3. She went up to Luke's hotel room. While obviously that in itself is not consent to sex, you can forgive a guy if he construes that as flirty behavior and makes a move, then backs off when told to.
4. After that incident, she mentions many cases of hugs and kisses in encounters. If it was really that bad, hugs aren't so hard to avoid.
5. “Walton would make implied threats of additional physical threats through his conduct.”. Adding to the accuser's mental issues you mentioned, most of this might just be in her head or in the way she perceived things. Not sure how you defend yourself against such accusations.

In the end, it will probably be settled and both parties move on.

Yeah, also, its weird that if the sexual assault happened the way Tennant described, its weird that Walton would remain close and friendly with her after the fact.

I dont know how this goes beyond a he said/she said with no real proof provided and those circumstances favoring Luke

[No name]

As a corporate investigator who essentially is hired by companies to baby sit adults from garbage like this I can say that the lawyers wording says that it is very real. Whether she was accepting of his advances or not or if her claims are sensational or not has no bearing. He put himself in this position.

Those that say that Luke is too smart for this is absolutely incorrect. The fact that he was there, in a hotel room says that he is either not too smart, over confident or that he was intoxicated.

Throw out the questions as to why she is doing this and focus on the simplest aspect of the allegations. Luke is screwed and at this point is fighting for his reputation. Nobody will win from this except her investment portfolio.

[Desiderium]

So don't most hotels have cameras in their hallways? Can't we just look to see if she ran out of the room in terror??

[kobe808lak]

As a corporate investigator who essentially is hired by companies to baby sit adults from garbage like this I can say that the lawyers wording says that it is very real. Whether she was accepting of his advances or not or if her claims are sensational or not has no bearing. He put himself in this position.

Those that say that Luke is too smart for this is absolutely incorrect. The fact that he was there, in a hotel room says that he is either not too smart, over confident or that he was intoxicated.

Throw out the questions as to why she is doing this and focus on the simplest aspect of the allegations. Luke is screwed and at this point is fighting for his reputation. Nobody will win from this except her investment portfolio.

What do you mean by this? Because her lawyer states her claims that makes it true? She could be making the whole thing up.

Maybe he didn't do anything inappropriate in the hotel room? Maybe he put himself in an odd spot with his marriage but that is another thing.

[myersia]

Why do we all even care about this?


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[mighty_duck]

Why do we all even care about this?

Captain Obvious - Luke was a Lakers coach and player who we've been following for years.

Not to be flippant, but if you don't care, why are you in this thread?

[No name]

As a corporate investigator who essentially is hired by companies to baby sit adults from garbage like this I can say that the lawyers wording says that it is very real. Whether she was accepting of his advances or not or if her claims are sensational or not has no bearing. He put himself in this position.

Those that say that Luke is too smart for this is absolutely incorrect. The fact that he was there, in a hotel room says that he is either not too smart, over confident or that he was intoxicated.

Throw out the questions as to why she is doing this and focus on the simplest aspect of the allegations. Luke is screwed and at this point is fighting for his reputation. Nobody will win from this except her investment portfolio.

What do you mean by this? Because her lawyer states her claims that makes it true? She could be making the whole thing up.

Maybe he didn't do anything inappropriate in the hotel room? Maybe he put himself in an odd spot with his marriage but that is another thing.

Luke's lawyer used very specific wording that doesn't deny the allegations but instead draws questions as to her intentions. It's a magician trick. Get the public to focus on the left hand while the right hand palms the quarter.

As I said before, it doesn't matter if he was sexually abusive or not. As a man of position you must leave nothing to question. She could have been flirting. She could have been all about it. Maybe she didn't like his breath or felt uncomfortable with his moves. Either way, from that point on she didn't feel right about it. Guilt. Embarrassed. Afraid. Either way, Luke opened the door to it and now he's got to deal with the dirt the wind blew in.

[myersia]

Why do we all even care about this?

Captain Obvious - Luke was a Lakers coach and player who we've been following for years.

Not to be flippant, but if you don't care, why are you in this thread?

Thank you. I feel enlightened. Great post


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[Jody Smokz]

Key word being seems. It almost never fails that people make assumptions based on what face people CHOOSE to show the public. If Luke raped this woman he deserves but the allegations are from 5 years ago?

How the hell does someone rape you and you tell your family but don't go to the police? I also understand how women can be pressured into not reporting a rape but this just does not seem like one of those times and it's 2019. The climate is just terrible for this kind of activity. Anybody can throw out a claim and throw mud on your name and at the end of the day no one is going to walk back half of what is said.

She left a broadcasting career in LA that most people would die for. I hope Luke wasn't the reason.

Yeah, she seems to have fallen into mental health issues quite quickly once Luke got there. She also seems like a self-help guru and a high-empath being so she doesn't really seem like the opportunistic type.

I think it's highly likely what she said has happened. I'm not on the jury but from a pure probability standing it doesn't look good for Luke at all.

[Jody Smokz]

Isn't Luke a married man? In what world do 2 adults of the opposite sex (assuming they are not homosexual) in the same hotel room together for an extended period of time when something sexual or intimate isn't taking place?

If she didn't report it to the cops but filed a civil suit that's a red flag. Luke is coming off millions with the Lakers and just signed a new deal with the Kings. Looks very opportunistic.

Hugs and Kisses? From reading the details she's likely a scorned lady that didn't get what she wanted.

This does not make Luke a victim though. While nobody deserves rape allegations that didn't rape anyone, any man of significant means or status that mishandles the wrong type of woman opens up all kinds of doors to bull to happen. If he needed company outside of his wife he should've paid for it.

I think it's highly likely what she said has happened. I'm not on the jury but from a pure probability standing it doesn't look good for Luke at all.

If we're going in to speculation mode, these points run counter to that:
1. She waited 3 years to report it.
2. She filed civil, not criminal charges.
3. She went up to Luke's hotel room. While obviously that in itself is not consent to sex, you can forgive a guy if he construes that as flirty behavior and makes a move, then backs off when told to.
4. After that incident, she mentions many cases of hugs and kisses in encounters. If it was really that bad, hugs aren't so hard to avoid.
5. “Walton would make implied threats of additional physical threats through his conduct.”. Adding to the accuser's mental issues you mentioned, most of this might just be in her head or in the way she perceived things. Not sure how you defend yourself against such accusations.

In the end, it will probably be settled and both parties move on.

[TKainZero]

This supposed happen in 2014?

5 years later the lady wants to get some money?

[Spens1]

Why is she filing a financial claim instead of a criminal case, especially for sexual assault?

[chefy]

damn you go to starbucks or barnes and noble to review a book not a hotel room alone with an adult man. especially when youre a freaking goddess jesus.

[zimpy27]

Why is she filing a financial claim instead of a criminal case, especially for sexual assault?

She doesn't get anything from him being charged.
You have to convince 12 people that he 100% did it to be charged in a criminal case.
You only have to convince 9 out of 12 that it is more than 50% likely to have happened to win a civil case.
Both will punish Luke, one she gets some compensation. Seems like a no brainier.