NBA star James Harden is trying to erase a $1.35 million courtroom loss after a jury found he committed fraud in a dispute over parties at a luxury Beverly Hills mansion he rented in 2019.
The Cleveland Cavaliers guard is asking a Los Angeles judge to overturn a verdict that awarded homeowner George Santopietro $900,000 in punitive damages and held Harden partly responsible for another $450,000 in compensatory damages.
Santopietro alleged Harden paid $82,200 to rent the mansion for one week under an agreement limiting him to no more than seven guests. Instead, the lawsuit claims Harden hosted multiple parties with more than 15 people, causing property damage and straining the homeowner’s relationship with the local homeowners association.
After about two hours of deliberations in March 2025, a jury found Harden committed fraud. It awarded Santopietro $900,000 in punitive damages and ruled Harden shared liability for $450,000 in compensatory damages with a property management company and its owner, who the landlord alleged helped arrange the rental agreement.
Now Harden is asking the court to throw out the verdict.
In court papers filed Thursday ahead of an Aug. 3 hearing, Harden’s attorneys argued the case hinged on a misunderstanding of the lease. They contend the seven-person limit applied only to overnight occupants—not daytime visitors—and say even Santopietro’s own real estate agent interpreted the agreement that way.
“The jury therefore could find fraud only by disregarding uncontradicted testimony and speculating that defendants possessed knowledge they did not have,” Harden’s attorneys wrote. They also argued there was no evidence of malice, oppression or fraud to justify punitive damages.
If the judge declines to overturn the verdict, Harden’s legal team is seeking a new trial, arguing the jury’s findings were “against the weight of the credible evidence.”
Santopietro sued Harden and the other defendants in September 2019.
In earlier court filings, Harden’s attorney accused Santopietro of trying to “take advantage of the tenants with the goal of extorting money from them or to get a default.” The filings also alleged Santopietro, who lives in Bangkok, “is well connected and is someone who threatens and intimidates everyone.”
Harden, 36, was traded to the Cavaliers in February after beginning the 2023-24 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. A former Artesia High School standout, he led the program to two California state championships and is the NBA’s highest-scoring left-handed player.
