A lawsuit has been filed in federal court against Matt Barnes and DeMarcus Cousins. This is stemming from an alleged fight at Avenue Nightclub in the VIP area of the club early on the morning of Monday, December 5th.
Jasmine Besiso has made the allegation that Barnes grabbed and choked her then elbowed her in the face knocking her unconscious. Myrone Powell alleges that both players took him to the ground and repeatedly kicked him “in the head, torso and lower body.” It is also alleged that the players were videotaped bragging about the incident. The NYCPD was called, but Cousins and Barnes had already left the scene when they arrived. Allegedly, the 911 call says that a man at the bar assaulted another man and two women and Barnes was the one reported as the man causing the incident. No criminal charges have yet been filed. Besiso and Powell have filed a civil complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The complaint states that Besisi and Powell were treated for injuries sustained in the alleged altercation at Lenox Hill Hospital. According to the plantiff’s attorney, Michael Lamonsoff, Besiso and Powell are suing for more than $75,000 in damages for the players causing “serious injuries and to suffer pain, shock and mental anguish.”
The Sacramento Kings players are being represented by New York attorney Alex Spiro who says that Barnes is “hopeful no charges will be pressed.”
Barnes posted on Instagram that “There’s always two sides to every story.” According to a representative who spoke with TMZ Sports, their side of the story is that Cousins bumped into a woman in a nearby booth and others attempted to start a physical altercation with Barnes and Cousins attempted to defend his teammate. Barnes alleges that he has photographic evidence that he was injured during the altercation.
The following statement was released by the Sacramento Kings following the incident:
“We have clear standards of conduct and behavior expected of the entire Kings organization – on and off the court. We are working with all parties involved to gather information in order to take any appropriate next steps.”
