Rapper Soulja Boy has been found liable in a civil lawsuit filed by his former assistant, identified only as Jane Doe, and has been ordered to pay more than $4 million in compensatory damages. This decision was delivered by a California jury on Thursday, April 10, marking a pivotal moment in the case that dates back to 2021.
Doe had filed the lawsuit accusing the artist, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, of sexual assault, physical abuse, and wrongful imprisonment during her time working under him. The case had been ongoing for years and has now resulted in a significant judgment in her favor.
According to court documents, Doe began working for Soulja Boy in December 2018. Her role included domestic tasks such as cleaning and cooking, for which she was promised a weekly payment of $500. However, the lawsuit states she never received consistent compensation for her work.
What allegedly started as a professional relationship quickly turned into a brief consensual romantic one, which the lawsuit claims escalated into violent abuse. Doe detailed numerous troubling incidents, including being sent unsolicited explicit photos, being physically assaulted to the point of losing consciousness, and being locked in a room without hot water for days.
Despite the severity of the accusations, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office chose not to file criminal charges against Soulja Boy, citing a lack of sufficient evidence after investigating the claims back in December 2020.
In his defense, the rapper expressed confusion over the verdict. Speaking to Rolling Stone, he said, “The district attorney never filed charges. I was never charged or convicted of this, criminally. So, to be accused of this civilly is beyond me. I’ve never done any of the things they’re accusing me of. I just feel like this is very unfair.”
Jane Doe’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, responded to the verdict by stating, “We’re happy our client was vindicated and the jury believed her claims of physical and sexual assault. We’re looking forward to moving on to the punitive damages phase of the case.”
The verdict does not mark the end of legal proceedings. A second phase of the trial is now underway to determine whether additional punitive damages will be awarded to Jane Doe for the emotional and physical trauma she claims to have endured.
Soulja Boy has not yet announced if he plans to appeal the decision. This ruling, however, is one of the most serious legal blows to the rapper’s career to date.
