Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose denies claim by ex-girlfriend that he raped her

TMZ reported late Wednesday that an ex-girlfriend of Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is suing him and accused Rose of raping her two years ago.

According to the TMZ story, Rose and two of his friends invited the woman (identified as Jane Doe) to his Beverly Hills home in August 2013. She says they drugged her drink “with the aim of raping her.”

“The woman says she escaped the house with a friend, but later that night, Rose and his friends broke into her apartment and gang raped her while she was incapacitated,” TMZ reported. “She says she remembers only ‘flashes’ of the incident, but can remember the defendants forcibly raping her.”

Rose’s spokesman issued a vigorous denial:

“The plaintiff’s allegations are completely false and without any factual basis. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shake down a highly respected and successful athlete. Mr. Rose was in a non-exclusive, consensual sexual relationship with the plaintiff for over two years. The plaintiff expressed no complaints about Mr. Rose until various lawyers began to surface and demand that the plaintiff be paid millions of dollars. This is the third lawyer the plaintiff has retained in this matter. Two years have passed since Mr. Rose ended the consensual relationship with the plaintiff and her claims are as meritless now as they were two years ago. We have complete confidence that the case will be dismissed and that Mr. Rose will be vindicated. This lawsuit is outrageous.”

The Chicago Bulls declined to comment.

This story was originally published August 27, 2015 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose denies claim by ex-girlfriend that he raped her."