Woman drops lawsuit after accusing Xavien Howard of giving her STD

Dec 26, 2020; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard (25) against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard is no longer facing a lawsuit for allegedly giving a woman a sexually transmitted disease.

Howard was sued last October by a woman who claimed the Pro Bowl defensive back knowingly gave her an “incurable STD.” The woman, who was identified as “Jane Doe” in court documents, said she began dating Howard in 2018 and that he gave her a written copy of negative test results proving he did not have any STDs. The accuser claimed that Howard discovered in 2019 that he had genital herpes but continued to have unprotected sex with her without informing her. She was seeking unspecified damages for negligent transmission of genital herpes and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The woman said she confronted Howard and he initially denied having herpes before confessing. She claimed in her suit that Howard apologized but told her “the damage is done” and that she should move on.

Howard’s attorney, Brad Sohn, revealed on Monday that the woman dropped her lawsuit, which he referred to as a “literal impossibility.”

“The anonymous accuser who sued my client for transmitting genital herpes has permanently dropped what we proved was a fabricated lawsuit,” Sohn wrote. “Xavien Howard never had genital herpes in the first place; the entire basis of her lawsuit was a literal impossibility. His accuser nevertheless lobbed out defamatory, absurd, and knowingly-false claims, as one of several (unsuccessful) attempts to extort money from him. Xavien is considering various legal action against this fabricator and hopes that those who ratified her made-up claims by reporting on them will also report Xavien’s exoneration.”

Howard was also sued last December by his former fiancée and mother of his three children. It is unclear if she is the same woman who sued him in October. The second lawsuit stemmed from a domestic violence incident that led to Howard’s arrest in 2019.

Howard signed a new five-year, $90 million contract with the Dolphins prior to last season. The 29-year-old has made three consecutive Pro Bowls and four overall.