A couple who claim that they were involved in an altercation with Sacramento Kings players Matt Barnes and DeMarcus Cousins inside a New York City nightclub early Monday morning have filed a federal lawsuit and are hoping that another woman who was also assaulted will come forward.
The couple's lawyer, Michael S. Lamonsoff, said during a press conference that they will rely on videotapes, medical reports and the testimony of witnesses to confirm their side of the story, the Associated Press reports.
Jasmine Besiso and Myrone Powell claim that Barnes choked and knocked Besiso, a hairstylist, unconscious before both players attacked Powell with punches and kicks after Powell tried to intervene. Both Besiso and Powell were treated at a local hospital, and no arrests were made.
Lamonsoff said that Barnes tried to choke another woman earlier that night. The lawyer also noted that the players are "using their celebrity status and vast resources to distort the truth," AP reports.
In an Instagram post Monday, Barnes said: "There's always two sides to a story … The side the media consistently tries to paint of me …. And what actually happened! Don't believe everything you read."
Attorney Alex Spiro, representing both players, told AP, "We don't believe a crime was committed, and we're continuing to cooperate with the authorities."
Spiro would not comment on whether his clients had been questioned by police. Earlier this week it was reported that police were hoping to speak with Barnes and Cousins about the incident.
Besiso said that she was "outraged and disgusted by what's happened to me." She added: "I want the truth to come out."
Read more at the Associated Press.