Nearly 12 percent of the United States population has a genital herpes infection (HSV-2). Though there is a strong stigma surrounding the virus because it’s a sexually transmitted infection (STI), it’s more common than people think. In fact, many famous people are alleged to have the virus, including several current and former players in the NBA.
NBA players alleged to have herpes include Vernon Maxwell, Juwan Howard, Tristan Thompson, and Dejounte Murray. They cannot be definitively confirmed with public test results, but there have been lawsuits filed against some of the players and/or other evidence suggesting they may carry the virus.
This article examines four NBA players accused of carrying (and/or transmitting) the herpes simplex virus. Remember that these reports are all alleged based on court documents or other information shared in the public domain. Read on to learn more.
1. Vernon Maxwell
For thirteen seasons, Vernon Maxwell played in the NBA as a shooting guard. Though his career began with the San Antonio Spurs, he is best known for his time with the Houston Rockets. Known as “Mad Max,” Maxwell was a force on the court, being one of only nine other players in the league to earn 30 points in one quarter.
After his release from the Houston Rockets in 1995, a woman named Sheila Rias filed a lawsuit against Vernon Maxwell. She accused him of knowingly exposing her to genital herpes. In 1997, Maxwell failed to appear in court, so the judge initially ordered a default judgment in favor of Rias.
Later, Maxwell was granted a new trial after presenting evidence that he was never properly served legal notice. However, a day before the trial was to commence, Maxwell filed bankruptcy, further pushing the trial back until the state of Georgia determined an outcome for the filing.
Unfortunately, Maxwell’s life was fraught with legal challenges from that point on, including charges and jail time for unpaid child support, aggravated assault, and kidnapping. There is no word on the outcome of the lawsuit filed by Sheila Rias.
2. Juwan Howard
Juwan Howard began his NBA career with the Washington Bullets (now known as the Washington Wizards) and later played for the Dallas Mavericks.
This NBA All-Star is no stranger to legal troubles, but it started off with him being falsely accused of sexual assault. Fortunately for Juwan Howard, the judge ruled in favor of him and said that the accusations were “improbable allegations.” Howard was awarded $100,000 (€93,775) in damages.
That wasn’t the end of his time in court, however. He was later sued by a woman, Dana Hughes, who he had known since high school, who claimed Howard knowingly infected her with genital herpes in 1998. He and his lawyers denied all charges. However, in September of the same year, Howard was sued by a second woman, also claiming he had knowingly infected her with herpes as well.
There is no word on the outcomes of these cases.
3. Tristan Thompson
Tristan Thompson has played for several different NBA teams, with the most recent being the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023. He is also the ex-boyfriend of Khloe Kardashian and the father of her children.
In late December 2021, Thompson made headlines when he alleged that Maralee Nichols, the mother to another one of his children, has herpes simplex virus and may have transmitted the virus to him. He stated that her early labor induction on December 1, 2021, resulted from a herpes infection. Thompson claims the information comes from one of his sources, though he has yet to disclose who it is.
Khloe Kardashian has since stated that she is “disturbed” by the news and the fact that she may have been exposed to the disease.
4. Dejounte Murray
Dejounte Murray is a 2022 NBA steals leader and All-Star who plays for the Atlanta Hawks.
In 2019, it was reported that Murray was dating Jaina Meshell Jackson, the former girlfriend of rapper NBA YoungBoy. Only a year before Murray and Jaina began dating, she and NBA YoungBoy had publicly announced they both had herpes.
After Jaina and NBA YoungBoy’s breakup, he wrote a song blaming Jaina for giving him the infection. She denies the allegations and also denies that she ever had herpes. Despite this, there is evidence of her admitting it in the past. If Jaina does have herpes, it’s possible that Dejounte Murray is also infected.
In January 2023, Jaina and Dejounte Murray announced they were expecting a baby girl.