Newly obtained police body cam footage recorded at the couple’s Georgia estate reveals a deeply troubled marriage, just days before the retired NBA star filed for divorce.
Dwight Howard and his wife Amber Howard’s marriage had already been the subject of a 911 call obtained last week. Now, police body cam footage recorded on March 6 at the couple’s Gwinnett County, Georgia estate is adding new detail to a domestic situation that appears to have been building for some time. Howard filed for divorce three days after the incident, on March 9.
The footage, obtained by TMZ, captures the couple during a tense police visit and reveals a household in clear distress, with disputes over property access, a deceased dog, Howard’s 15-year-old daughter, and the NBA star’s decision to retire all surfacing in a single recorded encounter.
3 alarming moments captured in the footage
- Amber locked out of the family home. In the footage, Amber is seen waiting outside the front gate of the estate, telling officers that Howard locked her out after becoming upset with her, and that this type of incident has become a pattern. She tells police it is the fourth time officers have been called to the property in the past year. The previous week’s 911 call, also obtained by TMZ, shows Amber telling dispatch that Howard had kicked her out of the home.
Amber also told officers that child protective services had removed Howard’s daughter from a previous relationship from the home the night before, and that Howard was upset with her for not standing by him during that situation. Howard’s representative disputed that account, stating that CPS did not take the child and did not visit the home.
- Howard’s dog died while in Amber’s care. During a private conversation with an officer, Howard shared that one of his dogs had died while Amber was responsible for it. He was careful to say he was not accusing her of causing the dog’s death, but he described the situation as an act of negligence, saying the dog escaped through the front gate. The moment added another layer of tension to an already heavily charged exchange.
- Howard told police his son does not feel safe. In what may be the most serious moment in the footage, Howard pulled an officer aside and said he was concerned for his son’s wellbeing in Amber’s presence. His son had separately told police he had tried to keep his distance from Amber the previous night because she had been yelling at him and at Howard. Howard told the officers he was afraid and that something needed to be done.
A retirement announcement and a claim of sabotage
During the body cam encounter, Howard also informed the officers that he is officially retiring from professional basketball, a statement his son appeared to be hearing for the first time. Howard claimed that Amber had been deliberately trying to unsettle him ahead of a significant retirement ceremony.
He also told officers that his 15-year-old daughter’s mother and Amber had developed an alliance motivated by financial disputes, and that he believed both women were working to damage his relationship with his children and his public reputation. He described Amber’s recent behavior as erratic and said that while people in his circle had advised him to preserve the marriage, he had reached his limit.
Howard was accompanied at the gate by his son and two men Amber claimed he had connected with just days earlier through an app. She told police Howard had hired them on the spot to pressure-wash the property.
What comes next
Howard filed for divorce on March 9, three days after the body cam footage was recorded. Neither Howard nor Amber Howard has made a formal public statement beyond what was captured in the footage, and the divorce proceedings are in their early stages. Howard’s representative has pushed back on at least one claim made in the footage, specifically the suggestion that CPS was involved with his daughter.
Story credit: TMZ