The ugly reason the Kings shut down Richaun Holmes early: Domestic violence accusations
When the Sacramento Kings announced last week that big man Richaun Holmes was leaving the team for the remainder of the season due to “personal reasons,” there was confusion from fans who were left with unanswered questions about what could possibly be pulling him away from a team that desperately needs him.
But we now have answers: The fan-favorite, 6-foot-10 power forward has been engaged in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife over their 6-year-old son. Allexis Holmes, who has been divorced from her husband since September 2019, has accused Richaun Holmes of domestic violence and of physically abusing their son. Allexis Holmes accused her former partner of “taking out his frustration” on their son and causing him to bleed from a blow to the head during a visitation on Feb. 6, according to court documents.
This ugly, personal fight that started in Los Angeles County has now been ongoing in a private court for two years. Recently, Allexis Holmes filed a restraining order in Sacramento County on behalf of their son.
The Kings player has been ordered by a judge to stay away from his son until he and his wife appear before a Sacramento County judge later this month. Ann Moder, a lawyer for Richaun Holmes, told me that her client denies all the allegations and attributes them to an ex-wife attempting to undermine her client’s attempts to gain full custody of their son.
Moder describes Holmes as an “exemplary parent” and said that the basketball player’s ex-wife is merely seeking attention and subverting the private court’s custody decision by filing “baseless claims” in Sacramento.
“We expect the other side to continue to manufacture claims and present misleading information of all types,” Moder said. “But Richaun will continue to focus on ensuring he can spend the most time with his son and supporting him in every way possible.”
In a series of tweets posted after this column published, Holmes said “I never respond to allegations but when it’s comes to my son I gotta speak. You have to be goofy as hell to believe that about me...my heart BEATS for my son i live this very life to see him happy and could never raise a hand to harm him EVER.
“My son adores me and i adore him...the relationship we share is the greatest bond i have ever experience...to hear my name tarnished at his expense is where i draw the line!”
The tweets were deleted shortly after they posted.
This case will be decided by a judge, and both parties deserve their day in court. But this revelation behind Holmes’ sudden departure from the Kings got swept under the rug when he mysteriously left the team without explanation.
Domestic violence in the NBA
Given the sorry history of the NBA on domestic violence issues, the way Holmes’ departure was handled by the Kings is unacceptable, but not surprising. The official announcement by the Kings on March 18 led some to speculate that Holmes might have been stepping away from the team for mental health reasons or perhaps a family tragedy, prompting concerned and empathetic reactions from both fans and media outlets.
Holmes’ own statement, shared by the Kings when he left, seems deceptive in hindsight. Holmes thanked “everyone for their support during these difficult times.”
“I love this team, I love my teammates and I look forward to returning next year,” Holmes wrote.
As fans, we responded to Holmes’ statement by wishing him well. Now my main concern is for the well-being of his ex-wife and son.
I’m not convicting Richaun Holmes ahead of his court date. It does, however, appear that the Kings were focused on covering up a serious situation involving allegations of domestic violence by one of their players. When I contacted the team this week, they refused to comment on the serious charges facing their player, or say anything beyond the cryptic announcement of Holmes’ departure.
If past NBA history is any indication, Holmes might have only gotten a slap on the wrist even if this case had been made public before now. Regardless of the outcome of this case, Holmes’ ex-wife is at an extreme disadvantage as she challenges her husband in court — waging a legal battle against a wealthy public figure.
I believe Allexis
Allexis Holmes will surely face public harassment, doubt and hatred. I do not envy her this fight, and I believe no one other than a mother fighting to protect her child would willingly take this battle on.
Public and private backlash toward victims is just one reason why more than 42% of domestic violence victims don’t report their abuse to the police, believing the negative consequences outweigh the benefits, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
A previous restraining order sought by Allexis Holmes against her husband was denied by a Los Angeles County judge in private court. But she is now pressing her case in Sacramento County.
Allexis Holmes recently filed domestic violence charges again in Sacramento Superior Court stemming from an incident in Sacramento in late February, according to court documents. She alleged that her son returned home from his father’s house “with a bloody knock over his head” and was unwilling to stay with his father again. Both sides of this ugly dispute are scheduled to appear in front of a Sacramento County judge on March 30.
Allexis Holmes also said in court documents that their son has ADHD, which has led her to homeschool him. She has said that her ex-husband refuses to accept the diagnosis and alleges that Holmes “takes his anger out” on his son.
Sobering statistics
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in 2020, at least one in seven children in America experienced child abuse and/or neglect. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in 2018, 76% of child abuse perpetrators were a parent of their victim.
Only three out of every 10 cases of domestic violence are ever prosecuted, according to the FBI. Yet somehow, the NBA manages to make those statistics look positively successful.
New Orleans Pelicans center, Jaxon Hayes, was arrested on 12 charges earlier this year, including false imprisonment, domestic abuse and resisting arrest — and yet continues to play for the Louisiana team. In 2010, a then-19-year-old Lance Stephenson was charged with third-degree assault when he was accused of pushing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs. She sustained serious head injuries, but the case was dropped six months later. Stephenson, then a rookie for the Indiana Pacers, has continued his career without any discipline from the league.
Dante Cunningham, then of the Minnesota Timberwolves, was arrested in April 2014 and charged with domestic assault for allegedly choking his girlfriend and slamming her against a wall. The NBA offered no discipline.
In 2015, Greg Oden, a former player for the Miami Heat and a No. 1 draft pick in 2007, pled guilty to battery with moderate bodily injury by punching his ex-girlfriend in the face until it was swollen and bloody. Oden was put on probation and ordered to undergo counseling. The NBA did not discipline him, either.
I could go on and on and on.
We must remember these statistics, and we must believe victims who come forward and speak out about public figures.
The culture of abuse we cultivate in America is shrouded in silence, and anyone willing to face harassment and denial from the public while fighting in court for the safety of their child should at least start from a place of belief. It is only then that we can begin to change the culture, and hold all abusers culpable — no matter what their job title or celebrity status is.
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 12:00 AM.
