NBA stars DeMarcus Cousins and Matt Barnes are attempting to settle a lawsuit that claims they attacked a couple at an NYC Nightclub back in 2016, out of court.
According to BOSSIP, Cousins of the Lakers and retired NBA player, Barnes, will attend a mediation next month for the alleged assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress case.
The lawsuit is asking for $75,000 from the players as compensation for punitive damages.
The lawsuit stems from an incident that took place in December 2016, where Jasmine Besiso and Myrone Powell allege that Cousins and Barnes attacked them at a nightclub in Manhattan.
In documents acquired by BOSSIP, Besiso and Powell reveal that the incident happened around 3 a.m. following an altercation with “unknown assailants” in the VIP area.
After the dispute, Barnes allegedly grabbed Besiso’s neck, choking her out.
When Powell witnessed the alleged attack, he said he tried to help Besiso, but Cousins allegedly stopped that from happening and “aggressively” approached him and proceeded to punch him in his face.
The lawsuit claims Barnes, 40, then took Besiso out of a chokehold and elbowed her in the face, knocking her unconscious.
Barnes and Cousins, 29, then allegedly turned their attention to Powell, attacking him by striking different parts of his body, the complaint continues.
After the incident, Besiso and Powell called the cops, but the basketball players fled the scene. However, the duo was allegedly caught on camera bragging about the attack, according to the lawsuit.
Besiso and Powell insist that they both suffered pain, mental anguish, and shock, keeping them from performing their normal daily routines as a result of the attack.
However, Both Cousins and Barnes have denied attacking Besiso and Powell. A Manhattan District Attorney has also cleared them of all criminal charges, according to court documents.
Cousins’ lawyer Dennis Wade exclusively told BOSSIP, that the lawsuit is not only a “money grab,” but that one of the plaintiffs actually attacked Barnes, choking him, causing Cousins to assist him.
Now, the judge assigned to the case has ordered both sides involved to attend mediation next month. But the mediation has since been postponed following a request from Romina Tominovic, Besiso and Powell’s lawyer, due to the pending status of Besiso’s medical examination.
