Rapper Soulja Boy has been found liable by a Los Angeles County jury for sexually assaulting and physically and emotionally abusing a former assistant, awarding the victim over $4 million USD in damages. The verdict, delivered Thursday after a three-week trial in Santa Monica, found the 34-year-old artist, born DeAndre Cortez Way, responsible for assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Jurors awarded the unnamed plaintiff approximately $4 million in compensatory damages and an additional $250,000 in punitive damages. However, they did not find him liable for false imprisonment and other allegations.
The lawsuit, initially filed in 2021, stated that the woman began working for Soulja Boy in 2018 with the promise of $500 a week — wages she says she never received. A romantic relationship followed, which quickly turned abusive. The woman detailed repeated instances of rape, physical beatings, and threats of death, stating she remained with the rapper until 2020 due to manipulation and emotional control. The lawsuit also alleged another assault occurred when she returned months later to retrieve her belongings.
“This verdict is just the beginning of justice for Soulja Boy’s victims and other victims in the music industry,” said her attorney, Neama Rahmani. Soulja Boy’s legal team, meanwhile, plans to challenge the ruling, maintaining that the evidence did not support the jury’s conclusion.
Soulja Boy rose to fame with his 2007 chart-topping hit “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” which earned him a Grammy nomination and solidified his place in pop culture.
Source: Swifteradio.com
