D'ussé Palooza Host Christopher "Chris Stylezz" Samuels Accused of Sexual Misconduct
Seventeen women have shared their stories about Chris Stylez on social media.
D'ussé Palooza is heralded as a staple event in New York City.
The hip-hop themed party that, has garnered thousands of partygoers and traveled throughout various cities in the US, is a damn good time. If you’ve ever been, you know there are hints of debauchery lurking within the depths of the party. What started off as Henny Palooza evolved into D'ussé Palooza two years ago. Partnerships with Roc Nation and Jay-Z’s D'ussé are notable accomplishments for the event which typically features celebrity guests and hosts.
On Monday, April 27 a host of the NYC staple, Christopher “Chris Stylezz” Samuels was accused of sexually assaulting, manipulating, and coercing numerous women. At the moment, 16 women have come forward anonymously sharing stories of experiences with Samuels.
One additional woman, Cheyenne Skyy shared an in-depth experience she had with the host. In a tweet Skyy detailed she was out one evening with Samuels and a friend who was intoxicated. She explained she thought she was receiving a ride home, but instead he attempted to coerce her into having sex with him at his apartment. When this didn’t happen, he barely spoke to her and then dropped her off on a street corner in Brooklyn at 3 a.m.
A few of the documented moments included Samuels gaslighting his victims in addition to preying upon them. Specific women who spoke out detailed experiences that took place while he was a student at SUNY College Old Westbury. He has also been accused of exposing himself.
According to an anonymous Twitter account, roughly a month ago, Rory Farrell, D’ussé Palooza's General Manager, was tipped off about the disturbing accounts from women about their encounters with Samuels.
Following the allegations, D’ussé Palooza released an official statement via Twitter making it clear Samuels was being placed on indefinite leave. “We are aware of the allegation made against one of our staff members. We are currently conducting an internal investigation around this allegation. Until the investigation has been concluded, that staff member has been placed on indefinite leave.”
A statement released a bit after the above tweet read, “After further consideration, we have decided to sever ties with the staff member who was initially put under internal investigation. Effective immediately, said staff member is no longer a part of the Palooza team and will not host any of our events going forward.”
Chris also went live on Instagram Tuesday evening to address the allegations. During one moment, he admitted he disrespected “a lot of people.” He shared during the video that he was wrong for what he did but denies that he raped any of the women that have come forward. Samuels later declared during the video that he implores the victims to go to the authorities.
On Wednesday, April 29, the latest episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, Rory, who is a co-host, spoke candidly about the allegations. He began by sharing that he is friends with Samuels and isn't upset listeners are expecting him to speak on the incidents.
Rory shared:
"My initial thoughts are with any woman who has been a victim in this. I pray you find peace in all actions that took place. I hear you. From my point of view, that's not behavior I condone, it's not behavior I enable, it's not behavior I've participated in or behavior I've even seen in my life and that's my stance on that portion. "
He also went on to add that he prides himself on creating a safe space for women at D’ussé Palooza. He then added, "We go above and beyond to try to make it a safe place." Joe also asked if he was apologetic to the women who have dealt with the experiences to which he responded, "Sure. It's extremely unfortunate. I pray there's peace. I am going to actively help where I can because I do consider that person family. I think [he] needs some help in how he behaves with women and treats women."
Farrell later added he confronted Chris about the aforementioned screenshots from the anonymous page before the 17 incidents were shared on social media on Monday. "It was a real confrontation about what was going on and real conversations. I was not aware of the degree this went to, I was aware of one situation."
Listen to The Joe Budden Podcast episode below, they begin speaking on the allegations at 7:19.