The divorce between former NBA star Dwight Howard and his estranged wife Amy Luciani has taken a significant legal turn, with a Georgia judge granting Howard a temporary protective order following an alleged confrontation at his home earlier this month.
According to court filings, Howard told the court that Luciani arrived at his residence on April 5, the first time she had appeared there in roughly six weeks. During the encounter, he alleged she made physical threats including a threat to punch him and a threat directed at another person present with him. He also claimed she had taken steps intended to undermine his custody position regarding one of his children.
What the court ordered for Dwight
A judge signed the protective order on April 7, requiring Luciani to remain at least 100 yards away from Howard, two of his children, his Georgia property and the private school his children attend. The order also bars her from reaching him or the children through any communication channel including phone, text message and social media.
In addition to the protective measures, the judge granted Howard temporary exclusive use of the home he shared with Luciani during the marriage, as well as temporary possession of a vehicle. The rulings represent a meaningful shift in Howard’s favor as the broader divorce proceedings continue.
A dispute that has played out publicly
The protective order arrives against the backdrop of a months-long public dispute that has drawn significant attention. Earlier this year, Luciani posted a series of videos on social media making serious allegations about Howard, including claims that he had a drug problem and that child protective services had removed one of his daughters from the home. She displayed what she described as evidence in one of the videos, which has since been deleted.
Howard denied the substance of those allegations at the time and has since alleged in court filings that the public accusations cost him professional opportunities and damaged his reputation. His petition for the protective order characterizes Luciani’s social media conduct as defamatory and ties it directly to financial harm he says he sustained as a result.
Additional details emerged when police body camera footage surfaced showing Luciani telling officers that Howard had cost her a significant television opportunity. She alleged the couple had been offered a reality series with substantial compensation per person but that Howard ended the deal by contacting producers directly. Howard has not publicly addressed that specific claim.
A marriage marked by turbulence from early on
Howard and Luciani, whose legal name is Amber Howard, married in January 2025. The relationship showed signs of serious strain within months. Howard filed for divorce for the first time in June 2025, and Luciani followed with her own filing the following month. Both proceedings were eventually dismissed before Howard filed again in March 2026, describing the marriage in court documents as irretrievably broken and requesting exclusive use of the Georgia home.
In his most recent filings, Howard has made additional allegations about Luciani’s conduct during the marriage, including claims of past physical incidents and behavior he characterized as obsessive. Luciani has not yet responded publicly to the specific allegations contained in the protective order petition.
The case reflects a divorce dispute that has moved well beyond the courtroom, with both parties making public statements that have shaped how the situation has been perceived and generating ongoing legal consequences on both sides. A full hearing on the divorce terms, custody arrangements and the allegations each party has raised is expected to follow as the case proceeds through the Georgia court system.
