As much as freedom it allows to its inhabitants, the United States has some severe laws when it comes to underage relationships, especially if a celebrity does it, there are massive repercussions.
Recently, a prominent basketball player found himself in a similar situation, and if you’re a fan of Oklahoma City Thunder, you will recognize him before being disappointed.
So, Josh Giddey, the professional Australian basketball player who is 21 years old, has been allegedly involved in a romantic and sexual relationship with an underage girl named Liv Cook, who was in her sophomore year (15-16 years of age) in 2022. His video went viral on social media on Wednesday, garnering immense criticism.
Explained: Did Josh Giddey Really Have a Relationship With an Underage Girl?
Josh Giddey is popularly known for being the NBA’s youngest player to record a triple-double in history, as he’s currently only 21 years old. He plays as a small forward for the Oklahoma City Thunder team.
On November 22, 2023, a video related to Josh Giddey circulated on social platforms like X, where he was allegedly in a relationship with an underage girl named Liv Cook.
While not much is known about the girl apart from the fact that she was chosen as the Sophomore Princess of Homecoming High School in Newport Harbor in 2022, she was reportedly around age 15-16 last year.
The legal consent age for relationships in the United States varies from 16 to 18 years, depending on the state, so many people suspect that Josh Giddey is dating an underage girl.
In the viral video, Giddey was seen wrapping her arms around her as if he was hugging her, and a video was recorded of both of them while Cook was smiling.
In the leaked video, Josh introduces his girlfriend, Liv Cook, as beautiful and says we’re about to head back to my room. There was also another picture that further made netizens show disgust for the basketball player.
An image that was posted alongside the videos shows half-naked Giddey and his girlfriend posing with a caption, “Just f*ked Josh Giddey.”
As his videos and pictures went viral, Josh Giddey disabled comments for his Instagram posts and changed his profile picture to all-black. However, many claim that his profile picture has always been that.
Thus far, it has not been confirmed whether she’s actually a minor because if she is from a state where the age consent for a relationship is 16, then according to her high school records, she might be sixteen.
Again, nothing is confirmed yet, and if it is the opposite, which is if Liv Cook is from a state where the age of consent is seventeen or eighteen, then Josh Giddey is in deep trouble.
Even though he is only 21 years old and dating someone who is 4 or 5 years younger than him, Liv Cook is still a minor, which, according to the United States, is a punishable offense because he is not just in a normal relationship but a sexual one.
Here’s how people reacted to Josh Giddey’s viral video, from slanders to utter disgust and trolls:
So, do you believe Josh Gideey was aware that his video would eventually go viral? What do you think is going to happen to him?
