Derrick Rose rape accusations: Star dismisses civil suit, says he uses it as ‘fuel’

Derrick Rose addressed the rape allegations pending against him in civil court with a complete dismissal yesterday, saying he’s sure he’ll be proven innocent and declaring that they provide him with extra motivation at the onset of the NBA season.

Last month, Rose, a respected figure within the league and a beloved citizen in Chicago, was accused of drugging and gang-raping an ex-girlfriend. Two of Rose’s friends were also named in the civil lawsuit. The suit came as a shock to NBA observers, who noted that the Derrick Rose rape accusations contrasted strongly with Rose’s quiet image.

Legal analysts have also noted that the case appears somewhat flimsy. The woman who brought the Derrick Rose rape accusations did not identify herself in the legal paperwork, choosing instead to go by Jane Doe. She’s believed to have filed the lawsuit only after being turned down by two other lawyers; Micke Monico, a lawyer for the WGN television network in Chicago, pointed out last month that the first two lawyers’ unwillingness to accept the case suggested it might not have much merit. Monico also pointed out the fact that it’s a civil lawsuit, not a criminal case, suggests a lack of evidence on the plantiff’s part.

Rose remarked on the case for the first time yesterday–his previous statement was issued by his attorney. “I will be proven innocent,” Rose began, “but, at the same time, it hasn’t affected anything. It’s not true. I take it as motivation.”

“I feel like the devil is just working,” Rose continued. “I feel like I’m on the right track as far as where I want to be at in my life. And I feel like when you’re that focused, people try to take you down. I’m very confident that I will be proven innocent.

“It’s not true,” Rose concluded. “I can’t let one incident that’s not true affect the way that I live, and I’m not going to let it. I love my life actually, so I can’t complain about anything. I’ve just got to take this, use it as fuel and the season is around the corner.”

The Bulls open the regular season at home against Cleveland on October 27.

(Photo credits: Derrick Rose via Twitter; Chicago Bulls via Instagram)