The ex-girlfriend of Jaxson Hayes has spoken out after shocking footage emerged of the NBA star appearing to shove and spit at her.
The then-Pelicans center, a former first-round draft pick, was arrested following the incident involving Sofia Jamora back in July 2021.
Hayes pleaded no contest to charges of false imprisonment and resisting an officer. The 24-year-old was sentenced to three years’ probation, 450 hours of community service and a year of weekly domestic violence classes.
He initially escaped punishment by the NBA but the league recently announced it was reopening its investigation into Hayes.
Now, Jamora has addressed the incident for the very first time, in the hope to give others ‘the courage to stand up against abuse’.
LA Lakers star Jaxson Hayes was seen spitting at his then-girlfriend in shocking new footage
Hayes (left) was arrested in 2021 over a dispute involving his ex-partner Sofia Jamora (right)
‘I want to thank everyone for all of your love, support, and kind messages. I am so touched, moved, and motivated by all of you,’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘Your words have warmed my heart and made me feel seen in a way I never imagined. As a survivor of domestic violence, I wanted to share that you are not alone.
The 27-year-old opened up on the turmoil she experienced after the incident.
‘I loved someone I trusted with my safety and well-being. Going through that experience was difficult, but every day now, I feel grateful simply to be here, healing and reclaiming my life,’ Jamora added.
‘If you are struggling with abuse, please know that you don’t have to go through it by yourself – find someone you trust, a loved one, a counselor, or even your local authorities. There is help out there, and there is hope.’
She continued: ‘By sharing this, I hope to give each of you the courage to stand up against abuse. Together, let’s speak up and speak out. Your voice matters, and you deserve a life of safety and respect.’
In the recently-released clip, the Lakers center first appeared to pull his then-girlfriend out of a doorway at around 1:35am while she said: ‘Stop! Let go of me!’
After she ran into another room off-camera, Hayes followed her before shouting: ‘What the f*** is wrong with you?’
Jamora can be heard accusing Hayes of hitting her in security camera footage of the incident
The NBA announced it is reopening its investigation into the Lakers center three years on
Jamora, who had initially blamed Hayes’ dogs for injuring her pup before the argument broke out, can be heard telling her partner to ‘get out’ before he eventually reappeared on the Ring cam at around 1:47am.
The basketball player’s cousin tried to calm him down to no avail as he returned to Jamora’s room before a loud crash was heard. The latter then appeared to shout in pain while asking him to stop once again.
Just after 2am, the couple were shown leaving the residence and continuing their argument in the driveway as Jamora said: ‘I’m not going to let you hit me anymore. What the f*** do I look like, a punching bag?’
Not long after she made that comment, Hayes appeared to shove Jamora aside and walk away, before turning around to spit in her direction.
The influencer was then heard telling his cousin to get him off the premises before admitting: ‘I don’t know what else to do.’
Photos taken after the incident show Jamora’s legs and arms covered in bruises.
Hayes put pen to paper on a two-year, $4.6million contract with the Lakers in 2023 after ending his five-year stint with the Pelicans.
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