Jury finds Soulja Boy liable for abuse and s*xual assault, awards ex-assistant $4.25 million

Soulja Boy, the rapper who rose to popularity with his debut single Crank That (Soulja Boy) in 2007, has been under scrutiny after his ex-assistant filed a lawsuit against him.

The lawsuit was filed in 2021 and alleged Soulja Boy of s*exual abuse and violence. The case was undergoing a three-week trial, and on Thursday, April 10, 2025, the Los Angeles County jurors decided that Soulja Boy was responsible for s*xual assault, as well as physical and emotional abuse.

They also decided the women should be awarded $4.25 million in damages.

Soulja Boy to pay $4.25M in the assault case

The lawsuit was filed by Soulja Boy's ex-assistant in 2021. The woman has not revealed her name in the lawsuit. She mentioned that she began working for him back in 2018. Her work included domestic tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and doing other personal tasks, and Soulja would pay her $500 a week for those chores.

They then had a romantic relationship, and the lawsuit alleges that Soulja would hit, abuse, r*pe, and threaten her. He also manipulated her into staying in the relationship until 2020. Furthermore, months later when she came back to take her things, she was again r*ped and beaten. She also added that Soulja never paid her the amount he was supposed to for the domestic chores she was hired for.

On Thursday, the jurors held Soulja responsible for s*xual battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional trauma. They declared that the women should be paid $4 million in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages, rounding up the amount to be paid to $4.25 million.

The counsel of the plaintiff, Neama Rahmani, made a statement in which she said:

''Today’s verdict is just the beginning of justice for Soulja Boy’s victims, and other victims in the music industry.''

Rickey Ivie, the lawyer for the defense, said:

''We maintain that the evidence does not support the verdict. It is unfortunate that aspersions and misperceptions of a culture were allowed to influence the trial.''

He also added that Soulja Boy plans to take further legal steps and will keep fighting for what he believes to be a fair outcome. The jurors, however, did not find him liable for false imprisonment and other allegations that were made against him.

DeAndre Cortez Way, who goes by the name Soulja Boy, began his musical career in 2004 and has delivered some hit songs, including Pretty Boy Swag, Kiss Me thru the Phone, Turn My Swag On, and the classic Crank That (Soulja Boy), which got him a Grammy nomination.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback