If you’ve kept up with the drama between Dwight Howard and Royce Reed, you know it’s been a rollercoaster. Years ago, Reed spoke about Howard on reality TV, defying a court order that forbade her from doing so. That decision led to D12 suing her, sparking a legal battle that seemed to quiet down over time. But just when it felt like the dust had settled, Royce is back, throwing shade at her ex—but this time, she avoided using his name.

Now, you’d expect Dwight to respond with the same intensity, right? Well, not exactly. The former NBA star seems too busy basking in his personal happiness to let anything stir him up. When The Shade Room caught up with him about his ex’s latest comments, his reply was calm and brimming with positivity.

“This is my HOF year. I’m getting married. God is amazing. And I’m so grateful and I wish Royce nothing but the best peace and [blessings],” he said. But Royce is clearly not done. She kicked off her Saturday morning with a fiery video, making bold claims without naming names.

In her caption, Royce promised to spill all the tea—and she says she’s got the “receipts” ready to go before the year ends. In the video, she accused Dwight Howard of spreading lies and making threats. “And when you’re an ant fighting an elephant, the only way to eat an elephant is bite by bite,” she said, adding to the drama.

She also hinted at revealing private exchanges, writing, “Imma post the texts and emails too if you keep playing with me and calling my bluff! I know about way more than you think I do, so imma leave the initials R.E. to let you know it’s ON.”

However, it’s not known as of now what was it that triggered the recent reactions and posts from Royce. Especially because Howard has recently been in the spotlight recently for much happier reasons. He and rapper Amy Luciani are engaged, and their joy is evident. Luciani even shared her excitement online, saying, “I’m just thankful, happy and ready for everything that’s coming our way.”

The fact that D12 is contented with his life while Reed Royce lost nearly half a million because of the ex-NBA star’s previous lawsuit could be one reason that led to her outburst on social media. Part caption — “You sue me, you get dust! You tried to drown me in attorney fees to keep quiet” — her first post on her new IG account also indicates this.

The time when Dwight Howard sued Royce Reed

Reed, who appeared on four seasons of Basketball Wives, allegedly mentioned on the show about Howard and their parental situation at least 11 times. But this wasn’t just casual gossip—it breached a settlement agreement between the two.

For the 3x DPOY, the timing couldn’t have been worse. At the peak of his career, such revelations put his reputation under the spotlight. His legal team estimated the damage at a jaw-dropping $500 million. The argument? Millions of viewers became privy to personal details D12 wanted to keep private.

Of course, $500 million was an eyebrow-raising figure, especially considering it exceeded Dwight Howard’s career earnings. Eventually, the two opted for a more practical route, settling the matter outside the court for $500,000. Now, there have been no reports of clearing this amount. If anything, a 2011 Miami News Times article mentioned the amount to have reached $551,606.74.

And even if she would’ve cleared the debt by now, there’s no way she was too happy about it. Seemingly, a reason she chose to strike back now might be because Dwight Howard has been nominated for the Hall of Fame honor and is succeeding in personal life as well.