By Karen Abbott, Rocky Mountain News
October 20, 2004

Basketball star Kobe Bryant filed a formal answer Tuesday to Katelyn Faber's federal lawsuit, denying he raped her more than a year ago in Eagle County.

"The plaintiff consented to all actions taken by Mr. Bryant during their encounter on June 30, 2003," the answer said.

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Bryant, who is married, has admitted having sex with Faber at the mountain resort where she was an employee and he was a guest, but he has insisted it was consensual.

Bryant's answer agreed with Faber that, after he checked in, he asked her for a tour of the hotel.

But it denied Faber's contention that Bryant made the request outside the hearing of his bodyguards and that he asked her to come to his room to escort him on a private tour.

Bryant agreed that he and Faber "engaged in mutual flirtation."

Bryant denied inviting her to join him in his jacuzzi. He also denied blocking her exit from the room, asking her for a hug and beginning to kiss her lips and neck, as alleged in the suit.

Instead, according to his answer, "Mr. Bryant admits that while he and plaintiff were in Mr. Bryant's hotel room they began kissing and fondling each other. Mr. Bryant denies the averments . . . that suggest that Mr. Bryant solely initiated this behavior."

He also denied that Faber asked him to stop or that he again blocked her exit from the room or that he choked her, bent her over a chair or had sex with her against her will, as she has alleged.

Finally, Bryant denied Faber's allegation that he has a history of forcing women he had just met to have sex with him, establishing a pattern of such behavior.

Faber filed the civil lawsuit against Bryant in August. It seeks unspecified damages.

Criminal charges were filed against Bryant in Eagle County but were dismissed last month during jury selection when Faber said she would not proceed as a witness in the criminal case.

Copyright 2004, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.