The allegations that Josh Giddey had sexual relations with a minor are officially being investigated by the NBA. A league spokesperson announced that the league office was "looking" into the allegations on Friday, a day after they originally hit social media. Earlier in the day, Giddey acknowledged the allegations for the first time. "I understand the question obviously, but there's no further comment right now," Giddey told reporters after practice on Friday.
Giddey is accused of a sexual relationship with a woman named Livvy Cook. The allegations first emerged on social media, with users appearing to post evidence of Giddey interacting with Cook. One of the widely-cited pieces of alleged evidence was a Snapchat post showing Giddey and Cook in a post-coital state of undress with the in-picture text caption "Just f-cked Josh Giddey". Furthermore, social media users later uncovered more posts that appeared to corroborate the story, as well as Cooks' TikTok account, which appeared to confirm that she was not 18. Further investigation has revealed that Cook may have been as young as 15.
What Is The Age Of Consent In Oklahoma?
The age of consent in Oklahoma is 16, although a "close-age exception" exists if one party is at least 14 and both parties are 18 or younger. According to state law, sexual relations between an unmarried couple in which one party is below the age of consent and the other is 18 or older could result in a second-degree statutory rape charge. The sentence if found guilty can range from one to 15 years in prison.
Born in 2002, Giddey joined the NBA in 2021. He forwent the US college system, instead playing a season of professional basketball in his native Australia before declaring for the draft. He had a strong rookie season, putting up 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists as part of the Thunder's young core. His sophomore season only saw Giddey improve. In the 2022-23 season, Giddey put up 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists as the Thunder made the playoffs for the first time since the COVID Bubble.
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