"The decision made in court was not based on facts": Soulja Boy claims being "innocent" after losing $4 million assault case to assistant Jane Doe

On April 10, 2025, rapper Soulja Boy, aka DeAndre Cortez Way, was ordered by the jury to pay $4.25 million to his former assistant, Jane Doe, who accused him of assault and battery in 2021. According to BBC, the rapper had denied the allegations, saying they had a consensual relationship.

After the order was delivered, Way shared his thoughts in a viral video. When asked what he thought of the verdict, his immediate response was “disappointed” as he said:

“Today, I stand before you deeply disappointed in the verdict delivered in my case. I firmly believe that the decision made in court was not based on facts or substantial evidence but rather on factors that were outside of my control. The truth was overshadowed by the involvement of individuals such as the jury who are not present during the events and questions.”

Soulja Boy went on:

“And I feel that this system allowed external influences to shape the outcome. Furthermore, the use of “Jane Doe” as the identity of the accusers raises serious concerns about fairness. Keeping these individuals anonymous while I am forced to face public scrutiny creates an unequal playing field. I believe this entire process has been tainted by a system that is not designed to protect the rights of the accused.”

Soulja Boy believed he was innocent and felt the case wasn't about justice, but driven by money and personal interests. He said he would appeal the decision and remained firm in his stance that he didn’t commit the alleged crimes.

Way thanked those who stood by him and promised to keep fighting until he could prove his innocence and bring the truth to light.

Soulja Boy’s lawyer explained why the trial was affected

Jane Doe worked as an assistant for Soulja Boy from 2018 to 2020. According to the lawsuit, the rapper was accused of hitting the plaintiff in the head multiple times during what was described as an abusive relationship.

While giving his testimony, he claimed that when he asked her about being physical, she participated willingly and didn’t resist or tell him to stop.

According to Rolling Stone, Jane Doe felt a sense of justice after the verdict, even though it couldn’t make up for everything she had lost. She hoped the outcome would prevent the same thing from happening to other women.

During closing arguments, Soulja Boy’s lawyer argued that she had made up the accusations out of jealousy, revenge, and a desire for money. The plaintiff’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, shared a statement with USA Today, following the verdict, saying:

“We're happy our client was vindicated, and the jury believed her claims of physical and s*xual assault. We're looking forward to moving on to the punitive damages phase of the case.”

Way’s lawyer added that it was disappointing that misunderstandings about culture may have affected the outcome of the trial. He also said that Soulja Boy planned to take further legal action to get a fair result. In 2021, a representative for the rapper told TMZ that he would never hurt a woman and called the accusations completely false.

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