Kobe Bryant

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What was the Accusation?

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant faced a felony sexual-assault charge in Colorado after a 19-year-old employee of the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera accused him of sexually assaulting her during an encounter in his hotel room in the summer of 2003. Bryant, who was in Colorado before undergoing knee surgery, acknowledged that a sexual encounter had taken place but maintained that it had been consensual. The accusation quickly became one of the most closely watched criminal cases involving a professional athlete in the United States. Prosecutors charged Bryant with felony sexual assault, while his defense challenged the accusation and prepared for a highly publicized trial.

The criminal case ended without a trial on September 1, 2004. Prosecutors asked the court to dismiss the charge after the accuser informed them that she was unwilling to participate in the criminal prosecution. The judge granted the request, and the charge was dismissed with prejudice. The dismissal therefore did not constitute a jury verdict determining what occurred during the encounter. A separate civil lawsuit filed by the woman remained pending and was later settled in March 2005 under undisclosed terms.

When the criminal case was dismissed, Bryant issued an unusual public statement addressing both the accuser and the disputed question of consent. He apologized to the woman for his behavior and the consequences she had experienced, said that he did not question her motives, and continued to state that he personally believed the encounter had been consensual. At the same time, Bryant acknowledged that the woman did not understand the encounter in the same way and said that, after reviewing evidence and hearing her testimony, he understood how she believed she had not consented. That combination of apology, continued assertion of his own perception, and recognition of the accuser’s contrary perception made the statement a particularly complicated example of sports apologia. More than a decade later, writers and sexual-violence advocates continued to debate the significance of Bryant’s acknowledgment of the consent issue and the broader legacy of the case.

Key Apologia Strategies:

Mortification, Denial, Defeasibility

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Transcript

Kobe Bryant Statement Following Dismissal of the Criminal Charge (September 1, 2004)

“First, I want to apologize directly to the young woman involved in this incident. I want to apologize to her for my behavior that night and for the consequences she has suffered in the past year. Although this year has been incredibly difficult for me personally, I can only imagine the pain she has had to endure. I also want to apologize to her parents and family members, and to my family and friends and supporters, and to the citizens of Eagle, Colo.

“I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives of this young woman. No money has been paid to this woman. She has agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil case. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.

“I issue this statement today fully aware that while one part of this case ends today, another remains. I understand that the civil case against me will go forward. That part of this case will be decided by and between the parties directly involved in the incident and will no longer be a financial or emotional drain on the citizens of the state of Colorado.”

Sources

ABC News. (2004, September 1). Bryant charge dismissed; he apologizes. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=127611&page=1

Associated Press. (2004, September 1). Kobe Bryant’s apology. ESPN. https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=1872928

Associated Press. (2005, March 3). Bryant, his accuser settle civil lawsuit. The Vindicator. https://vindyarchives.com/news/2005/mar/03/bryant-his-accuser-settle-civil-lawsuit/

Sports Business Journal. (2004, September 1). Prosecutors drop sexual assault charges against Kobe Bryant. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2004/09/02/Law-Politics/Prosecutors-Drop-Sexual-Assault-Charges-Against-Kobe-Bryant/

Zirin, D. (2016, April 19). Wrestling with Kobe Bryant’s forgotten apology. The Nation. https://www.thenation.com/article/society/wrestling-in-with-kobe-bryants-forgotten-apology/

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