Kobe Bryant sexual assault case

In July 2003, allegations of sexual assault were made against professional basketball player Kobe Bryant by a 19-year-old woman, resulting in criminal charges for felony sexual assault. In August 2004, a civil suit was filed against Bryant for the same incident, and in September the criminal case was dropped and charges were dismissed when the complainant decided not to testify. The civil case was later settled out of court.

On July 18, 2003, news media reported that the sheriff's office in Eagle, Colorado, had arrested Bryant in connection with an investigation of a sexual assault complaint, filed by a 19-year-old hotel employee. The woman accused Bryant of raping her in his hotel room on the night of June 30. Bryant had checked into The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, a hotel in Edwards, Colorado, that night in advance of having surgery near there.

The woman filed a police report July 1, and authorities questioned Bryant July 2, including about bruising on the woman's neck. Bryant eventually admitted to a sexual encounter with his accuser but insisted the sex was consensual.

Leading up to trial, the woman's identity was leaked and erroneously released multiple times. Shortly after jury selection had begun in September 2004, she told prosecutors she could not take part in trial, they dropped the case and criminal charges were dismissed. At this point, Bryant made a public statement, apologizing to his accuser, the public, and family, while denying the allegations. The civil suit was settled out of court in March 2005, with experts estimating that a monetary component may have exceeded $2.5 million, which was the maximum a plaintiff could win in damages in Colorado.