Soulja Boy was found liable Thursday in a civil trial after facing allegations of sexual assault and kidnapping brought by a woman who claims she was his former assistant.
A California jury found Soulja Boy, 34, liable in his civil case for claims of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and more, and the anonymous assistant was awarded more than $4 million in compensatory damages, according to a release from her attorney.
The outcome concludes a trial in Santa Monica, California, which saw the rapper, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, accused of physical and sexual violence. The “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” emcee has previously denied any wrongdoing.
“We’re happy our client was vindicated, and the jury believed her claims of physical and sexual assault,” said Ron Zambrano, an attorney for the Jane Doe plaintiff. “We’re looking forward to moving on to the punitive damages phase of the case.”
In a statement to USA TODAY, Way’s attorney Rickey Ivie said the evidence presented in the case “does not support the verdict.”
“It is unfortunate that aspersions and misperceptions of a culture were allowed to influence the trial,” Ivie said. “Mr. Way fully intends to pursue his post-trial remedies and to fight for a just result in this case.”
Soulja Boy trial, explained
The trial, which began in March, saw both the rapper and his alleged former assistant take the stand to recount their sides of the story. The woman, along with her legal team, painted a picture of a violent man whose abusive cycles included demeaning text messages, physical harm, and threats.
“I didn’t even feel human anymore. I felt like an animal,” she told jurors according to Rolling Stone and Vibe. “I wanted to die.”
Way painted their relationship as entirely consensual and called the allegation that he would beat her “disgusting.”
The trial was based on a lawsuit filed in January 2021 in which a woman, who chose to remain anonymous and be identified as Jane Doe, alleged the rapper began sending her unsolicited nude pictures within the first month of her employment as his personal assistant. The two then began a romantic relationship that ultimately turned toxic, the lawsuit alleges.
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Lawyers for Doe accused Way of “numerous instances of physical violence,” including kicking, throwing and punching, as well as “sexual assaults, spitting on her body, and threats of physical violence and death.”
When the woman tried to quit and leave, the lawsuit alleges Way locked her in a room against her will for three days with no hot water.
After fleeing, the lawsuit alleges the woman was violently attacked and raped by Way on separate occasions when she attempted to retrieve her belongings. Lawyers for Doe also argued she is owed unpaid wages for her work as a personal assistant.
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In May 2021, four months after the complaint against Way was filed, the rapper was hit with another lawsuit from a woman who alleged he subjected her to “constant abuse” during their romantic relationship.
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The second accuser, who also opted to remain anonymous, said she suffered a miscarriage after Way became irate and began punching and kicking her.
“It took her years to escape the psychological and physical grasp of her abuser,” her lawyer, Neama Rahmani, told USA TODAY at the time.
Way was also accused of assault and kidnapping by a former girlfriend, Kayla Myers. According to Billboard, he was ordered to pay her $235,900 in compensatory damages and $236,000 in punitive damages in 2023.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Maria Puente and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Soulja Boy trial: Rapper found liable, ordered to pay $4 million
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