Soulja Boy has been found liable for assault, sexual battery and harassment of his former personal assistant in a significant civil trial verdict that concluded this week.
According to Rolling Stone, a California jury awarded the plaintiff $4 million in compensatory damages after two days of deliberations, with punitive damages still to be determined.
The Grammy-nominated rapper, born DeAndre Cortez Way, faced claims relating to incidents that allegedly occurred during 2019 and 2020 when the woman worked as his personal assistant and lived with him. The jury’s decision covered multiple charges including assault, sexual battery, gender violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In their mixed verdict, jurors found that Way subjected the woman to “severe or pervasive” harassment during her employment period from 10th January 2019 to 20th July 2019. However, they declined to award damages for false imprisonment and hostile work environment claims, determining that Way did not deprive her of her freedom or ability to resign.
The trial revealed disturbing text message exchanges between Way and the plaintiff. Court evidence showed Way sending messages including “I hope u die slow” and “I should have killed your ass”. When the woman texted about alleged physical abuse, writing “You body slammed me on my head and choked me”, Way typically ignored these accusations rather than denying them.
Way’s defence team argued that the allegations were fabricated by a vengeful ex-girlfriend seeking financial gain. Lead defence lawyer Rickey Ivie claimed the woman’s story “evolved” over time and pointed to inconsistencies in her initial police report compared to later testimony. The defence characterised one message from the plaintiff as attempted extortion, seeking $50,000 and a Dodge Charger to resolve her claims.
During testimony, the woman described allegedly being assaulted during a police raid at Way’s rental home in 2019. She claimed Way forced her into sexual acts while disposing of weapons and drugs as law enforcement searched the property. The plaintiff testified she feared reporting the incident due to threats against her family.
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“I feared for my life,” the woman told jurors, claiming Way knew her mother’s address and threatened to “send shooters” to the house. She described losing significant weight during her time with Way, dropping from 140 pounds to 86 pounds before his April 2019 imprisonment for probation violations.
Way admitted to sexual contact during the police raid but maintained it was consensual. “I asked her if she wanted to have sex, and she was engaged in it,” he testified. The rapper denied all abuse allegations, claiming they “bonded” during their relationship and that she performed tasks voluntarily rather than as a paid employee.
This case represents one of several assault allegations against Way. Former girlfriends Kayla Myers and model Nia Riley have previously accused him of physical and sexual assault. Myers won a separate civil case where a jury found Way liable for assault and kidnapping.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges in December 2020, citing “insufficient evidence to prove the alleged crimes true beyond a reasonable doubt”. Way maintains his innocence and plans to appeal the civil verdict.
Way’s legal troubles coincide with his upcoming Swag Tour, a 32-city concert series scheduled to begin this summer.
