DENVER – Lawyers for the woman accusing Kobe Bryant (search) of sexual assault filed documents Wednesday disputing his argument that others were at least partly responsible for any emotional injuries she suffered.
A motion filed in Denver federal court accused the NBA (search) star of trying to shift responsibility to the media, state courts and others.
The woman's lawsuit seeks unspecified money damages from Bryant for alleged pain and emotional injuries after her encounter with Bryant at a Vail-area hotel in July 2003. Bryant has said the two had consensual sex.
His attorneys have argued the woman's alleged emotional injuries could have been caused by media organizations that published information about the case, including The Associated Press.
Defense attorneys also said responsibility could extend to individuals who threatened the woman and to the state courts, which mistakenly released her name and details about her personal life when Bryant faced a criminal charge of sexual assault.
The woman filed the civil lawsuit in August, three weeks before the criminal case was dropped when she told prosecutors she no longer wanted to participate.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox