Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson, who collapsed on court, accused of sexual battery
University of Florida basketball star Keyontae Johnson has been accused of felony sexual battery, according to Alachua County court records.
Johnson, 22, has not been formally charged or indicted for a crime, but court records show a sworn affidavit was filed against him on March 23.
The accusation was first reported by Fresh Take Florida late Friday. The senior star has been under investigation for weeks following the incident that is alleged to have occurred at an off-campus apartment on Feb. 26, according to the outlet.
Johnson has not played for the Gators since he collapsed on the court on Dec. 12, 2020, against Florida State, but he has stayed heavily involved with the team from the sidelines since the health scare.
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Sexual battery in Florida carries penalty up to 30 years in prison
Sexual battery, under Florida law, is a first-degree felony that carries a penalty of up to 30 years in prison.
His attorney, Ron Kozlowski, told The Sun on Saturday that the accusation is unfortunate considering his client has already been through so much the past few years, and now has another hurdle to deal with. He said Johnson has handled it all with grace.
"Once the state attorney fully investigates this and the full facts come out, I'm confident that they'll find Keyontae Johnson didn't do anything wrong," Kozlowski said.
Johnson is from Norfolk, Virginia, and was named SEC preseason Player of the Year in 2020-21. He was a potential NBA draft pick prior to his collapse and is still attempting to get medically cleared and resume his basketball career.
The UF forward took out an insurance policy worth $5 million that went into effect in July 2020 — just months before his collapse, the Associated Press reported last year. If Johnson is cleared to return at the next level, he can collect on the policy, if he ultimately doesn’t make the NBA.
He made a ceremonial start, dressing in his UF jersey, in his final appearance in Gainesville on Senior Day March 5 at Exactech Arena. Florida fans have had nothing but love for Johnson since his collapse. Even before Senior Day, fans were calling for him to get an honorary start.
