Soulja Boy performs during halftime of the BET Experience celebrity basketball game on June 29, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Julia Beverly/Getty Images.
Soulja Boy Ordered to Pay $4 Million in Sexual Battery Case
An unnamed Jane Doe accused the rap star of rape and kidnapping.
Soulja Boy has been ordered to pay more than $4 million and has been found liable in his civil case for claims of intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual battery, assault, sexual harassment and non-payment of wages. According to Entertainment Weekly, the rapper (born DeAndre Way) was found liable by a jury in Santa Monica, Calif., after a three-week trial that saw Way's ex-assistant (the unnamed Jane Doe) accuse him of a wide array of assault and abuse.
"We're happy our client was vindicated and the jury believed her claims of physical and sexual assault," Ron Zambrano, an attorney for the plaintiff, said in a statement. "We're looking forward to moving on to the punitive damages phase of the case."
Way’s attorney Rickey Ivie also shared a statement.
“We maintain that the evidence does not support the verdict,” he said in a statement to Variety. “It is unfortunate that aspersions and misperceptions of a culture were allowed to influence the trial. Mr. Way fully intends to pursue his post-trial remedies and to fight for a just result in this case.”
In 2021, Way was accused of raping and kidnapping Jane Doe while she was working as his personal assistant in 2018. She claimed that within the first month of employment, Way sent her photos of his penis and they initiated a romantic relationship that turned violent.
“The district attorney never filed charges. I was never charged or convicted of this, criminally,” the “Crank Dat” rapper told Rolling Stone. “So, to be accused of this civilly is beyond me. I’ve never done any of the things they’re accusing me of. I just feel like this is very unfair.”
Soulja Boy made headlines earlier this year after he was among a handful of rappers who agreed to perform at an event during Donald Trump’s inauguration. The ensuing controversy led to a back-and-forth between the rapper and comedian Marlon Wayans.
PEOPLE reports that Doe previously reported the alleged abuse to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in December 2020. The agency told Rolling Stone that it declined to file charges against Soulja due to “insufficient evidence.”
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