Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose spoke out about the rape case filed against him by his ex-girlfriend, addressing it for the first time by declaring himself innocent.

According to a report by USA Today, the NBA player issued an official statement about the allegations of a former girlfriend who is identified as Jane Doe.

"I am just focusing on staying healthy and getting ready for the season," Rose said in the statement. "I am not going to comment other than to say: I know the truth, and am confident I will be proven innocent."

The Chicago native is facing a civil case over an alleged gang rape in August 2013. According to a report by CBS Local Chicago, the civil complaint alleged that Rose and his friends drugged the woman in his Beverly Hills residence before following her to her unlocked house and raping her there. In the initial TMZ report, Rose's friends were named Ryan Allen, and Randall Hampton who is reportedly the basketball player's personal manager.

In the complaint, the plaintiff explained why she waited before coming forward saying she was "terribly shamed and embarrassed," particularly for her conservative family. The plaintiff is suing for "unspecified damages," a report from TMZ said.

Before Rose addressed the allegations, his spokesperson Lisa Cohen spoke out strongly about the point guard's innocence.

In a string of tweets by Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal, Cohen said: "The plaintiff's allegations are completely false and without any factual basis. This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to shake down a highly respected and successful athlete. Mr. Rose was in a non-exclusive consensual sexual relationship with the plaintiff for over two years. The plaintiff expressed no complaints about Mr. Rose until various lawyers began to surface and demand that the plaintiff be paid millions of dollars."

She specified that it is not the first time the ex-girlfriend attempted to sue Rose saying, "This is the third lawyer the plaintiff has retained in this matter. Two years have passed since Mr. Rose ended the consensual relationship with the plaintiff and her claims are as meritless now as they were two years ago. We have complete confidence that the case will be dismissed and that Mr. Rose will be vindicated."

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweeted a statement from the Chicago Bulls, which plainly said, "It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."