Dwight Howard’s personal life spilled into controversy this week after his wife, Amy Luciani, publicly accused the former NBA star of drug use.

Sharing a now deleted tearful video to her Instagram on Saturday, Luciani held up a large bag containing a white powder, claiming it belonged to Howard and “the reason for their destroyed marriage”. She alleged that Child Protective Services removed their daughter from their home after visiting the residence three times in less than three months.

"I've been trying to tell everybody, he needs some help," Luciani said in the video. "Nobody wanted to listen because he's got the money. I live with him, and he needs some help."

Luciani further claimed that Howard coached their 12-year-old son to lie to authorities and that she recorded this coaching for protection. She insisted she sought no financial compensation following their brief marriage and reconciliation attempt.

According to Page Six, Luciana filed for divorce from the Basketball Hall of Famer in July of last year after they had been married for six months. The two went public with their relationship in Dec. 2024 and tied the knot a month later in Jan. 2025. In a video shared earlier, she claimed that her biggest advice to new wives is to “shut your mouth and keep your issues in the marriage to yourself.”

Soon after Luciani’s posts began circulating, Howard’s ex-girlfriend Royce Reed also entered the conversation.

Reed — who shares a son with Howard and is known for appearing on Basketball Wives — posted her own Instagram video on the weekend, saying she had previously warned Luciani about Howard. “You called me crazy and said I wanted him when it has always been about the kids,” she said, publicily calling Luciani out. She goes on to suggest that the behavior being discussed was not new and that Luciani had been told about issues involving Howard before the relationship escalated.

Reed also shared in a statement on her Instagram stories, “Who’s laughing? This is sad AF! These kids should’ve never been in his custody and she knew that! Look at the past! She allowed it, she condoned it, she participated in it… Crying now because she caught him lying to her is selfish af!”

Later at night, Reed and Howard’s son, Braylon took to his own Snapchat stories, cooberating his mother’s side of the story. Braylon claimed that his father’s behavior is not a surprise to any of them, despite Luciani’s narrative that his “entire family was crazy” for thinking like that. He goes on to say that he hopes his father and Luciani are “getting the help they need”.

Howard is yet to address any of these claims; he was spotted sitting court side at the Knicks-Lakers game in Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena last night. His seemingly relaxed demeanour had fans

Howard has previously been at the centre of a public controversy when in 2023 a sexual harassment case was filed against him by Stephen Harper. The civil lawsuit accused him of alleged sexual assault and battery during a July 2021 encounter at Howard's Georgia residence. Harper claimed the meeting, arranged after online exchanges starting in May 2021, turned non-consensual, involving false imprisonment and emotional distress.

He reported it to police in July 2022, identifying Howard as his ex-boyfriend, but no criminal charges followed. Howard denied the allegations, insisting it was consensual activity in a filing that included text message screenshots. The suit was dismissed with prejudice on 19 August 2024, preventing Harper from refiling the same claims in Gwinnett County Court and Howard’s team dismissed the claims as a profit-driven move. Addressing speculations of his sexuality, Howard stated in an Instagram Live that “his bedroom activities were his own business”.

The 39-year-old, eight-time All-Star has five children with different women and a history of personal scrutiny affecting his career. Reports suggest his NBA comeback attempts have halted due to these concerns.