A recent report reveals that one of the stars of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Mark Cuban, was the subject of a 2011 sexual assault investigation, which ultimately resulted in no charges being filed. Thugh his accuser stands by her claims years later, Cuban denies anything happened.
After the Portland, Ore., news outlet Willamette Week published a lengthy piece about an alleged episode at a local nightclub, the Dallas Mavericks owner issued a concise statement to The Associated Press on the matter.
“It didn’t happen,” Cubain said.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the NBA told The Hollywood Reporter that it is reviewing the allegations as well as prosecutor's decision to not pursue action.
According to the report, Cuban was in town in May 2011 when he went to a local nightclub where the alleged victim, who did not want to be named, approached him for a photo. Cuban was reportedly visibly intoxicated and the woman alleges that he put his hand on her lower back before moving it under her jeans and grabbing her crotch before penetrating her vagina with his finger.
A week later, the alleged victim filed a complaint with the local police, which led to an investigation. Excerpts from a conversation Cuban had with a detective were released by the outlet, which notes that he did not call his lawyer, but engaged in a freewheeling discussion of the topic over the phone. Eventually, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office determined there was insufficient evidence to press criminal charges.
The woman never contacted the press, hoping to keep the incident a private matter. However, when contacted by Willamette Week she maintained that Cuban had assaulted her. The news broke just two weeks after Sports Illustrated published a report claiming that Cuban’s NBA team had fostered an hostile work environment, rife with misogyny and sexual harassment. At the time, Cuban released a statement noting he was “sick to his stomach” over what SI had uncovered.
Neither ABC, which airs the billionaire on “Shark Tank,” nor CNBC, which airs reruns, responded to Fox News’ request for comment on the matter. It’s unclear if any action will be taken against Cuban by the network as a result of these recently resurfaced allegations.
Reps for Cuban did not respond to Fox News’ request for further comment.
This is the second time in recent weeks that one of ABC’s top stars has been in hot water over allegations of sexual misconduct. As previously reported, the network is standing by “Live with Kelly and Ryan” and “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest, after a former hairstylist accused him of sexual harassment.
E! News conducted the investigation into Seacrest using a third-party team and ultimately found insufficient evidence to move forward, as was the case with Cuban.