A woman has accused New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson of rape in addition to "sexual, physical, emotional and financial" abuse over the span of a multiyear relationship, according to a lawsuit submitted to Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday.

The woman, who is identified as Jane Doe, accuses Williamson of a "continuing pattern of abusive, controlling and threatening behavior" over the course of a relationship that started during Williamson's freshman year at Duke and lasted from 2018 to 2023.

The 12-page civil complaint, obtained by ESPN, says Williamson's alleged actions occurred in multiple states, including Louisiana and California.

The court filing details two alleged incidents of rape in 2020, the first taking place that September in Beverly Hills, California. According to the complaint, the woman told Williamson "she was tired and wanted to go to sleep" but Williamson told her she could not go to sleep without having sex with him. He then allegedly pinned her down with her hands behind her back and raped her. The filing added that Williamson threw the woman's phone across the room afterward and choked her.

A second rape allegedly occurred in October 2020, also in Beverly Hills. The woman says she was "violently raped" after expressing plans to visit a friend in San Diego. In both instances, the woman accused Williamson of taking her phone for "a period of time."

In addition to the rape allegations, the lawsuit details accusations of strangulation "with such force that she reasonably feared for her life and eventually lost consciousness multiple times." The woman also accuses Williamson of entering her apartment without consent and stealing her belongings.

The lawsuit accuses Williamson of "threatening to kill" the woman and her family members multiple times.

The woman is seeking monetary damages, including punitive damages, for emotional distress. A source told ESPN that the woman is seeking "anywhere from $18 million to $50 million."

"We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them," Williamson's attorneys at Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver LLC said in a statement. "The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless. ... This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance."

The attorneys say that Williamson and the woman had a "consensual, casual relationship" that ended years ago and that "at no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns." They added that Williamson had reported the woman's "extortion attempts" to law enforcement and that he plans to file a counterclaim.

"While these allegations are false, we recognize the seriousness of the claims and welcome the opportunity to prove the truth in court. We are confident that the legal process will expose the truth and fully vindicate Mr. Williamson," the attorneys said.

The woman's attorney, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles, said they would be "very cautious about litigating this in the press."

"This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed," Taylor said, adding that his client "genuinely looks forward to her day in court when she can tell a jury of her peers what happened to her and seek justice."

A Pelicans spokesperson deferred comment to Williamson's legal team.

Williamson, 24, played one season at Duke before the Pelicans drafted him in 2019 with the first overall pick. Despite earning two All-Star nods, Williamson has largely underachieved throughout his career due to injuries that have limited him to 30 or fewer games in three of his five NBA seasons. He also sat out the 2021-22 season due to injury.

He averaged 24.6 points while playing 30 games in 2024-25, shooting 56.7% from the field while averaging a career-high-tying 7.2 rebounds and a career-best 5.3 assists. The Pelicans shut down Williamson in March because of a lower back contusion suffered in a fall against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On July 15, Williamson's contract for the 2025-26 season becomes guaranteed. He represented New Orleans this month at the NBA draft lottery as the Pelicans walked away with the No. 7 pick.