Dwayne Wade and Richard von Houtman

Miami Heat basketball player, Dwayne Wade, has sued his former business partner, Richard von Houtman for allegedly defaming him in articles, as a philandering cocaine and steroids user and for causing the failure of their chain of restaurants. Wade also labeled von Houtman a fake count exploiting a discontinued title.

Dwyane Wade Files Libel Suit Against Ex-Business Partner

Monday, Jun. 1 2009 @ 11:40AM - Hey, remember back in April when Dwyane Wade's former business partner Richard von Houtman unleashed a Riptide smear tirade against the Miami Heat superstar?

Von Houtman, one of Wade's partners in the thwarted D Wade's Place restaurant chain, cast Wade as a naive businessman, controlled by his entourage, who cheated on his wife prolifically, smoked tons of weed, and did steroids.

This can't be much of a shocker: Wade has filed a libel suit against Von Houtman, Riptide has learned. At the suit's heart: von Houtman's angry missives concerning Wade to Heat president and coach Pat Riley. An excerpt from one of the e-mails to Riley:

"[Wade's ex-wife Shiovaughn] called me the other day to tell me that she was being threatened by Mr. Wade, and what could I do to help. Mr. Wade is a bully and a coward... He and most of your Heat players are smoking, using cocaine, and steroids. I wonder how and why the Heat organization can condone such behavior.. I will be talking to the press and Olympic committee and showing them evidence to support my allegations on Thursday... I will be sending to your home a hard copy of this letter, and also in fairness to [Heat owner] Mickey Arison's home." ...

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