Josh Giddey cleared of wrongdoing as investigation into alleged inappropriate relationship ends, Weet-Bix confirm ambassador deal expired

Australian NBA star Josh Giddey has been cleared of any wrongdoing for an alleged relationship with an underage girl, but he has suffered a major financial blow.

Australian star Josh Giddey #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Picture: Getty Images

Josh Giddey has been cleared of any wrongdoing following a police probe into an alleged inappropriate relationship, but he has lost one of his biggest personal sponsors with a major deal not renewed while he was under investigation.

Code Sports can reveal Giddey no longer has an ambassador deal to promote iconic Australian breakfast cereal, Weet-Bix.

The Australian Boomer was on a multi-year deal – and appeared in advertisements and on Weet-Bix cereal boxes.

However, a spokesman from Sanitarium confirmed Giddey’s agreement had “expired on 31 December 2023”, and the company opted not to renew the deal during a period when the investigation into the guard was still ongoing.

Australian basketball star Josh Giddey will avoid criminal charges over his alleged relationship with a minor.

In November, when the allegations first surfaced, Sanitarium moved to explain why images of Giddey were removed from social media posts promoting Weet-Bix.

A spokesman from the company said the posts were deleted in a bid to “minimise opportunities for negative commentary towards Josh while the NBA is looking into the current situation”.

Sanitarium stressed the move to remove Giddey’s promotional posts, “was not a precursor to any decisions on Josh’s contract as a Weet-Bix ambassador”.

“We know how hard negative social media comments can be for anyone, especially for young athletes,” the statement said.

“We are still in contact with Josh’s management team and awaiting on the facts surrounding this matter.”

It comes as police cleared Giddey of any criminal conduct after a probe of his alleged relationship with a minor.

The Newport Beach PD confirmed the investigation was “over” because “we have no corroborating information related to criminal activity.”

Giddey was one of the faces of Weet-Bix. Picture: Twitter

It leaves Giddey free to move on from a saga that saw him receive endless social media ridicule and a hit to his reputation.

He was also regularly met with boos whenever he took to the court for OKC, which initially impacted his form.

In late December, Boomers coach Brian Goorjian attended one of Giddey’s games in Sacramento and said he “squirmed” in his seat as the crowd tormented the Aussie star.

Goorjian, who has seen it all across a decorated 35-year coaching career, caught up with the Victorian guard in Sacramento and said, while he was aware Giddey would be targeted, he was still “alarmed” at what unfolded inside Golden 1 Center.

“I’m going to speak honestly, I was alarmed and I sat next to (Boomers’ assistant) David Patrick at the game and the truth of the matter was it was pretty full on,” Goorjian told Code Sports in a wide-ranging interview on his meetings with the Boomers’ NBA talent in the US.

“Booing every time he touched the ball, cat calls, just a really difficult situation.

“I really squirmed in my seat and found it tough but he just ignored the crowd and played with a steely resilience.

“For an Aussie in a foreign country in a high-profile sport like that, to be 21-years-old — he’s a tough SOB.”

Josh Giddey #3 continued to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder despite the investigation. Picture: Getty Images

Through the boos and barrage of online criticism, Giddey has kept his composure to play a key role in OKC’s surge to second position in the Western Conference standings.

The Melbourne-born guard has rediscovered his shooting mojo in the New Year, dropping double figures in five of his 10 games thus far in 2024.

Giddey is arguably Australia’s biggest key to an Olympic medal in Paris later this year and Goorjian said there was an impressive resilience from the former No.6 NBA draft pick.

“We had a wonderful hug and I got a beautiful warm feeling coming from his eyes and he was very ‘I’m going to get through this, coach’,” he said.

“He definitely has his eyes on Paris. We went through the program and I told him ‘I’m here (for him) any time, pick up the phone’.

“It’s been a really tough situation but I came away feeling our meeting was good for him and it was good for me, too.”

Giddey returns to the court on Friday when the Thunder travels to Utah to take on the Jazz from 1pm (AEDT).

Australian basketball star Josh Giddey has been cleared of any criminal conduct after a police probe of his alleged relationship with a minor.

A month and a half after Californian detectives launched an investigation into the explosive claims that emerged on social media, the Newport Beach Police Department is no longer pursuing the case and will not lay charges.

“It’s over,” Sergeant Steven Oberon said.

“We have no corroborating information related to criminal activity regarding Mr Giddey.”

The 21-year-old has continued to take the court for the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout the probe, facing relentless booing from hostile crowds around the NBA.

America’s most prominent women’s rights lawyer Gloria Allred – who has been representing the teenage girl at the centre of the saga – had refused to comment on the case when contacted earlier this week.

It was revealed last month that Giddey was 19 at the time of the alleged encounter and believed the girl was also 19. He then learned that she was still a 15-year-old high school student and ended the relationship.

The police investigation as well as a separate probe by the NBA were launched in November when photos and videos of the pair began to circulate on social media.

Sgt Oberon said at the time that detectives were “actively seeking additional information related to these allegations and pursuing all leads and evidence”.

But criminal defence lawyers said that charges were unlikely in California, where although the age of consent is 18, criminal cases were rarely pursued when there was a narrow age gap between both parties.

Defendants can also successfully escape statutory rape charges if they can demonstrate that they reasonably believe the alleged victim was over the age of 18.

In the case involving Giddey, it is understood the pair had connected at a nightclub, leading the NBA star to assume she was over 18.

He has refused to comment on the allegations.

“I understand the question, obviously, but there is no further comment right now,” Giddey said when the claims initially went viral online.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has previously defended the decision not to suspend Giddey, saying the league typically deferred to law enforcement agencies and took “a back seat” while such matters were investigated.