Latest news with #PrettyBoySwag
New York Times
11-04-2025
- New York Times
Soulja Boy Is Ordered to Pay $4 Million in Sexual Assault Case
A jury in Los Angeles found the rapper Soulja Boy liable for sexual battery and assault, ordering him to pay $4 million to a woman who said that he became violent toward her as their once-professional relationship turned romantic, the woman's lawyer said. The decision on Thursday, which was also reported by The Associated Press, came after a nearly monthlong trial, in which the woman said that she had started as the rapper's assistant. She accused him of physically and sexually assaulting her over two years. Soulja Boy — known for songs like 'Crank That (Soulja Boy),' 'Kiss Me Thru the Phone' and 'Pretty Boy Swag' — denied the claims during the trial. 'Our client is pleased with and vindicated by the verdict,' Neama Rahmani, a lawyer for the woman, whose name was not revealed in the proceedings, said in a statement. 'Yesterday's verdict is just the beginning of justice for Soulja's Boy's victims and a reckoning for the entire music industry.' Reading a statement on his phone, Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, criticized the verdict outside the Superior Court in Los Angeles County after the verdict. 'I believe this entire process has been tainted by a system that is not designed to protect the rights of the accused,' Mr. Way said. 'I want to make it clear that I am innocent.' The woman who brought the case said that she began working for Mr. Way in 2018 as his personal assistant, according to court documents. He had agreed to pay her $500 a week to live with him, she said, and provide services that included cleaning, cooking, handling his travel itinerary and doing his hair — but she said she was never paid. Shortly after she began working for Mr. Way, 34, she said she began a relationship with him that quickly became violent. In court documents, she detailed multiple instances when she said he subjected her to sexual and physical violence. She accused him of raping her, sometimes multiple times a day, and attacking her so brutally that she lost consciousness. She also said in court documents that he threatened to have her killed and that at times she was kept in a locked room, sometimes for days at a time. During her trial testimony, she said that she was barely fed, and that she lost more than half her body weight, according to Courthouse News Service. 'I didn't even feel human anymore,' she said. 'I felt like an animal.' At the trial, Mr. Way denied being violent with her, and said he never agreed to hire her as his assistant. In his closing statement, Mr. Way's lawyer, Rickey Ivie, said that the woman was offered to stay at Mr. Way's house in exchange for rolling marijuana blunts, but that pay wasn't discussed. 'She was rolling blunts,' Mr. Ivie said, according to Courthouse News Service. 'She got room and board. That's the industry standard.' The jury found Mr. Way liable for assault, sexual battery, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and nonpayment of wages, in addition to other claims. It did not find him liable for false imprisonment. The jury also awarded the woman $250,000 in punitive damages. In a statement on Friday, Mr. Ivie said that his client was preparing to challenge the verdict. 'We maintain that the evidence does not support the verdict,' Mr. Ivie said. '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.' The decision came five years after Mr. Way's ex-girlfriend, Kayla Myers, accused him in a lawsuit of attacking her during a party at his home in Malibu, Calif., stomping on her stomach and hitting her in the head with a gun, according to court documents. In 2023, a jury found that he assaulted her, and ordered him to pay her $471,800. Mr. Way is also being sued for physical and sexual assault by Nia Riley, an ex-girlfriend who had appeared with him on the reality show 'Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.' In 2021, she told the comedian Tasha K that Mr. Way kicked her in the stomach when she was pregnant, and that she later had a miscarriage.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Soulja Boy ordered to pay $4m after losing sex assault case
US rapper Soulja Boy has been ordered to pay $4.25m (£3.2m) to a woman who accused him of sexual battery and abuse. The unnamed woman sued the star, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, in 2021, saying he regularly raped her and beat her and sometimes kept her as a prisoner after she was hired as his assistant. Way had denied abusing her and said their relationship was consensual - but a jury in a civil trial found him liable for sexual battery, assault and gender violence. The 34-year-old smiled calmly as the verdict was read on Thursday, according to the Courthouse News Service. Speaking outside the court, he maintained his innocence and said he was "committed to filing an appeal and fighting for the truth to be revealed". During the trial, Way denied beating or raping her, calling the accusations "disgusting". But after two days of deliberations, the jury awarded his accuser $4m ($3m) in compensatory damages and a further $250,000 (£200,000) in punitive damages. "I feel like I got justice," she told Rolling Stone after the verdict. "Obviously, it's not going to return everything I lost. I lost way more than I gained. My hope is he doesn't do this to any more women." Soulja Boy is known for a party rap style that spawned hits like Crank That (a US number one single), Kiss Me Thru The Phone and Pretty Boy Swag. His commercial peak came in 2010, when Forbes magazine said he earned $7m (£5.3m), since when he has diversified into record production and video game development. According to court documents, the woman was hired as an assistant in 2018 and started a romantic relationship shortly afterwards. The abuse soon followed, she said. The lawsuit accused him of punching and raping her several times. During her testimony, she said she had lost almost half of her body weight during their time together, dropping to almost 6 stone (39kg), before "I managed to get away from him". "I didn't even feel human any more," she told the court. "I felt like an animal." She said she had stayed in the relationship because Way threatened to hurt her or her family, and told her he would post a sexually explicit video to the internet if she left. Text messages shown in court painted a complicated picture of their relationship. Way would ask her to perform tasks typical of an assistant, including making travel arrangements or setting up computer equipment. But at other times, he would text her messages like "I hope u die slow", "I hope you catch corona" and "I should have killed your ass", the jury heard. In other messages highlighted during the trial, the woman texted Way: "You body slammed me on my head and choked me", and "I should have just let you hit me." Her lawyer Ronald Zambrano argued that the rapper never responded with denials. However, he would apologise, sending messages such as: "Babe come back let's talk seriously" and "Are u ok? I'm sorry I love u please call." During the trial, Way denied that his accuser had been an employee. Instead, he claimed, he had offered her a place to stay in exchange for which she would roll marijuana for him. During closing arguments, Way's attorney Rickey Ivie maintained that the woman had invented her story and was "motivated by jealousy, revenge and financial gain". Although Way was found liable for sexual assault, he was cleared on claims of false imprisonment and constructive dismissal. It is not the first time that the rapper has faced such allegations. In 2023, he was ordered to pay ex-girlfriend Kayla Myers $471,900 (£360,000) stemming from an assault and kidnapping lawsuit she filed in 2020.
Los Angeles Times
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Marlon Wayans rips Soulja Boy for transphobic remarks against son: ‘He ain't been relevant'
For comedian Marlon Wayans, defending his son from transphobic and homophobic comments is no laughing matter. Unless it involves Soulja Boy. The 'Scary Movie' and 'White Chicks' star on Wednesday made a punchline of the 'Kiss Me Thru the Phone' rapper's career after the musician dragged Wayans family matters into a social media feud. In a series of tweets this week, Soulja Boy, also known for songs 'Crank That' and 'Pretty Boy Swag,' used slurs to criticize Wayans, his acting career and his trans son, Kai. Soulja Boy on Wednesday tweeted a screenshot of reports about Wayans' support for Kai. Seemingly referencing the 52-year-old comic disguising himself as a white woman for the 2004 comedy 'White Chicks,' the rapper wrote: 'That ... run in the family huh? @MarlonWayans no wonder u like dressing up as a b— it's in your blood.' The rapper has since deleted the offensive tweets — but not quickly enough to save himself from a Wayans clapback. 'If @souljaboy had a career he could get cancelled for this type of slander,' the 'Marlon' star tweeted Wednesday. 'Luckily he ain't been relevant since 2007.' That was the year Soulja Boy, real name DeAndre Cortez Way, broke out with his catchy hit 'Crank That (Soulja Boy)' and its accompanying dance. He continued to gain traction in the early aughts with songs 'Donk,' 'Kiss Me Thru The Phone' and 'Pretty Boy Swag.' Though his popularity has tapered off in the past decade, the 34-year-old continues to drop new music including his latest album, 'The Influence,' released last Friday. Although it's unclear how or when the Wayans-Soulja Boy feud began, Billboard reported the beef traces back to the rapper's decision to perform in January at the Crypto Ball in Washington, D.C., to celebrate President Trump's inauguration. Like fellow rappers Snoop Dogg and Nelly, who also performed at Trump inauguration events, Soulja Boy defended his performance, saying on Instagram that 'Trump put money in my pockets.' He also noted that the president was not at the event. Days after the inauguration, Wayans appeared on Cincinnati radio station 101.1 The Wiz, where he called for unity during the new administration and shared his two cents about the rappers who performed at the Trump celebrations. 'I mean, Soulja Boy, he been canceled. Nobody cares [about] Soulja Boy. Soulja Boy go better get that check,' Wayans said. He added: 'I don't know if they knew it was [an] underwritten Trump event.' Soulja Boy hit back at the comedian on Monday, weeks after Wayans' radio spot, tweeting 'u not funny' and he 'keep selling ur soul' amid a burst of profanity. A back-and-forth ensued with each of the performers taking jabs at the other's careers and appearances. Wayans, currently on his Wild Child comedy tour, revealed his son's transition during a November 2023 interview with 'The Breakfast Club.' At the time, he spoke about 'going from ignorance and denial to complete unconditional love and acceptance' and praised Kai as 'brilliant' and the 'most well-read, the smartest Wayans.' He shares children Kai and Shawn with ex-girlfriend Angela Zackery. Last June, Wayans hit back against a slew of haters who decried his rainbow-adorned Instagram photos celebrating Pride. 'As a father of a child in the LGBTQ+ community I show my support. Zero f— what people think. If i lost you… GOOD!,' he wrote in a caption. Wayans will reunite with brothers Shawn Wayans and Keenen Ivory Wayans for a new chapter of their 'Scary Movie' franchise, set to hit theaters next summer. Additionally, the Wayans family will get their flowers at the 56th NAACP Image Awards later this month. The 'In Living Color' and 'My Wife and Kids' comedy dynasty will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame when the ceremony airs Feb. 22 on BET.
