Soulja Boy's Civil Rape & Kidnapping Trial Begins
Soulja Boy’s Rape, Assault And Kidnapping Civil Trial Set To Begin
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More than four years ago, Soulja Boy was accused of rape, assault, and kidnapping by a former assistant, who filed a civil lawsuit against the “Crank That” rapper in California in 2021. According to USA Today, the defendant’s civil trial is set to begin in Santa Monica within days, and Soulja Boy, born DeAndre Cortez Way, still maintains his innocence.
“I vehemently and unequivocally deny these allegations. I am in contact with my legal team and the appropriate legal action will be taken against these lies,” Way told TMZ.
Here’s what the “Kiss Me Thru the Phone” artist is accused of via USA Today:
In a lawsuit filed in January 2021, an anonymous woman who began working for Way as a personal assistant in 2018 alleged the rapper began sending her unsolicited pictures of his penis within the first month of her employment, and a romantic relationship between them began that ultimately turned toxic. She 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.”
In one incident, the woman alleged Way “became irate” with her in a car, grabbed her and pushed her out of the vehicle. The lawsuit also said the rapper punched her in the head “on at least ten separate occasions” and would inappropriately touch her, “forcefully pull her pants off” and rape her on numerous occasions.
When the woman tried to quit and leave Way, the lawsuit alleged he locked her in a room against her will for three days with no hot water.
The suit was amended in August 2020 to include that the plaintiff ran away and moved out of Way’s home after he attacked her. However, when she attempted to retrieve her personal belongings from his home, Way allegedly refused to give them back and “instead used the opportunity to rape” her again. A few months later, she was violently attacked again by the 34-year-old while trying to retrieve her belongings, according to the complaint. The plaintiff also claimed she is still owed unpaid wages from when she worked as Soulja Boy’s assistant.
The plaintiff is seeking damages for sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, infliction of emotional distress, and her unpaid wages.
Arguably more concerning the allegations themselves is the fact that the woman, identified only as ‘Jane Doe,’ is only one of multiple women to accuse Way of violent abuse.
More from USA Today:
Four months after the complaint against Way was filed, he faced another lawsuit in May 2021 from a woman who alleged he subjected her to “constant abuse” during their romantic relationship. She 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.
Despite this history, a rep for Soulja told TMZ, “Soulja would never put his hands on a female. He wouldn’t beat a woman or put his hands on a woman … this is non-sense!!!”
