Dwight Howard’s estranged wife has been ordered to stay 100 yards away from the ex-NBA star and two of his children after a judge signed off on a protective order on Tuesday, April 7, Luxury Handbag Shopping can exclusively report — but she says his claims are bogus.
Amy Luciani (real name Amber Howard) is prohibited from going near Howard’s Georgia mansion and his kids’ private school and cannot contact any of them via phone or social media after being accused of stalking and threatening to harm Howard in a petition he filed earlier this week.
According to the filing obtained by Us, Howard, 40, alleged Luciani came to his home on Sunday, April 5, for the first time in six weeks and “threatened to punch” him in the throat.
Howard further claimed that Luciani “threatened to kill whoever was in the car” with him and “devised a plan” with the intent of him losing custody of his daughter.
In the docs filed on Monday, April 6, the former Los Angeles Lakers star said his estranged wife “defamed” his character when she took to social media in March and accused him of being abusive and a drug addict. Howard claimed he’s “lost money and deals” because of her accusations.
He also claimed that due to her alleged actions, he and his kids are “afraid to be around her.”
Howard alleged Luciani has established a “pattern of behavior,” even checking the boxes stating that she “threatened” him with “a knife, gun or other deadly weapon” and has “killed or injured pets or threatened to do so.”
He claimed Luciani displays “excessive jealousy” and “control” over him and is “obsessive.”
Howard alleged Luciani has a “history of substance abuse” and “assaults” him when she is “drunk or high.”
When filing his protective order petition, Howard noted that there’s a gun in his home and it’s “readily accessible” to his ex. The eight-time All Star also revealed that he’s worried Luciani may try to use deadly force against him, noting that the pair recently separated.
The judge signed off on Howard’s petition the following day, ordering Luciani to stay away from Howard and his children while giving the ex-athlete sole and exclusive use of the mansion they shared and temporary possession of a 2015 Mercedes.
A hearing about the protective order is scheduled for Monday, April 13.
In response to Howard’s claims, Luciani told Us that “unfortunately, Dwight is pulling any string of retaliation to cover up another one of his many wrongdoings. The protective order is completely false. Because I did not lie to the police when Dwight asked me to the day his daughter was removed by CPS, Dwight is reaching low to retaliate in attempt to silence me.”
She further stated that his “most hurtful” accusation was that she “killed his dog.” (As stated above, Howard only checked the box that alleged she “killed or injured pets or threatened to do so.”)
According to Luciani, Howard shared an “Instagram post where he writes his dog was unfortunately hit by a car.” She concluded, “Two of his dogs got out of the house gate. One came back & unfortunately the other dog was run over. I am praying for Dwight’s healing.”
Us reached out to Howard’s team for comment.
This is just the latest in the messy divorce between Howard and his ex. Howard filed for divorce on March 9, listing their marriage as “irretrievably broken” while noting there was “no hope of reconciliation.” It was the third time they have filed to end their marriage after just one year. (The pair share no children.)
Howard previously filed for divorce in June 2025, but the filing was later dismissed. Luciani, meanwhile, filed for divorce in July 2025, but her petition was also dismissed.
The former athlete — who has five kids with five different women — most recently filed for divorce after Luciani alleged he had a drug issue and that Child Protective Services removed his daughter from their home.
Howard later addressed her accusations.
“Never done Coke in my life,” he wrote via Snapchat on March 11, urging his followers not to believe everything they read online.
Luciani was recently put on notice that she’s set to be deposed in their divorce battle on May 7. She has not responded to Howard’s divorce filing as of this publication.
