Luke Walton accused and sued for sexual assault by sports journalist

Source: Genaro Molina / Getty

Kings Coach Luke Walton Accused Of Sexual Assault

Luke Walton, former Lakers head coach, now Sacramento Kings head coach, is being sued by sports journalist Kelli Tennant for an alleged sexual assault that took place in Walton’s hotel room back in 2014.

According to TMZ, Tennant claims that Walton assaulted her when he was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors. She says she met Walton at his hotel to drop off a book that she authored in which he had written the foreward.

Upon arriving at the hotel, Tennant says that Luke convinced her to come upstairs to his room to “catch up” and there is where he pinned her to the bed and allegedly kissed her lips, face, and chest, in addition to groping her breasts and rubbing his erection against her.

Tennant claims Walton eventually relented and let her get up from the bed, but as she was walking toward the door to leave, he grabbed her from behind and again forced his body up against hers.

Tennant claims when Walton finally stopped and released her — he walked her out of the room as if nothing had happened.

“He smiled, laughed again and made the disturbing statement, ‘Good to see you,'” Tennant claims in her suit.

Beyond this incident, Tennant says there was another time during Walton’s tenure as the Lakers head coach where she was made to feel uncomfortable.

In the suit, Tennant claims in May 2017 — while Walton was the head coach of the Lakers — there was an incident when Walton greeted her by uttering “vulgar, guttural sounds at her” and said, “mmmm … you’re killing me in that dress.”

Luke got some ‘splaining to do.