Royce White under investigation in Houston for domestic assault

July 18, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Houston Rockets forward Royce White (30) handles the ball during the first half of the game against the Chicago Bulls at Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Former Hopkins High School standout and Gophers commit Royce White is under criminal investigation by law enforcement in Texas following a report by his ex-girlfriend that he physically assaulted her on June 22.

White’s ex-girlfriend, Maxim model Tania Mehra, reportedly had a laceration above her eye following an argument with White after she became upset about his advances towards one of her friends, according to TMZ.

Mehra had initially stated that the cut was sustained in an accidental fall but changed her statement last week to police.

“The victim said she had lied earlier because the suspect played for the NBA and did not want the incident to damage his career,” said a police officer to TMZ.

The gossip website has also obtained several pictures reportedly related to the incident, including a photo of Mehra’s injury.

This could be the nail in the coffin for White as he pursues an NBA career. The 22-year-old and former first round draft pick was a five-star recruit out of high school and committed to the Gophers before legal troubles forced him to leave the University of Minnesota. While he never played a game for the Gophers, White had one successful season with the Iowa State Cyclones before declaring for the draft where he was selected 16th overall by the Houston Rockets.

White has yet to play in the NBA regular season as he battles the Rockets over issues related to transportation to away games. It’s well documented that White has an anxiety problem related to flying and the two sides have been bickering over the issue since he was drafted.

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