Gilbert Arenas Asked Point Blank About Dwight Howard Gay Rumors

Recently, Gilbert Arenas appeared on the DJVlad podcast for a freewheeling conversation that covered a slew of topics. They talked about everything from business ventures to locker room rumors.

Eventually, the conversation veered off into gossip about Dwight Howard's sexuality. For context, earlier this year a Georgia man named Stephen Harper filed a lawsuit against Howard accusing him of sexual assault and battery. However, according to a court filing obtained by ESPN in August 2024, the lawsuit had been dismissed.

Regardless, rumors and gossip about the former Lakers' sexuality started to spread rapidly. At one point, DJVlad asked Arenas about it flat out:

I interviewed his [Howard's] baby-mother, Royce Reed, and she told a bunch of very interesting stories about parties with every pronoun in attendance. And listen, my man who books a lot of interviews for us, he did an interview with him [Howard] and asked him flat out if he was gay, and he didn't really answer the question.

Arenas and Howard have known each other for years, with Howard appearing on Arenas's podcast several times. Nevertheless, Arenas respectfully declined to make a statement one way or the other:

"When it comes to teammates, you have to respect the process of whatever they're going through. It's not my job to push the envelop on trying to figure out if it's true or not... Look, I think with stuff like that, if you're on the down-low, you want to come out on your own and not be forced out. Who knows?"

DJVald insisted, saying,"But when so much starts to come out..." But Arenas shook his head.

"Yeah, but that don't mean you're ready for it... [when you're a celebrity] you can't get in front it, because someone forced you to do it... The person who is the most down-low in the locker room is usually the most serious, strongest, angriest."

Arenas deserves credit for not answering in Howard's stead. It's not his place to speak on anyone else's behalf and we should respect that.

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