Soulja Boy to pay over $4 million in damages to victim in s*xual assault case

Rapper Soulja Boy has been ordered to pay over $4 million in compensatory damages after a California jury ruled in favor of a woman, who accused him of multiple charges, as reported by HotNewHipHop.

The court reached its conclusion in a civil proceeding initiated by Jane Doe against the artist for abuse that occurred while she worked as his assistant in 2019 and 2020.

The case was heard in a Santa Monica court, where the jury found Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, liable for intentional infliction of emotional distress, s*xual harassment, and failure to pay wages.

He was cleared of false imprisonment and constructive discharge charges. In addition to the $4 million for assault and s*xual battery, the jury levied a sum of $2,650 on the rapper for unpaid wage statements.

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Soulja Boy's former assistant details years of alleged abuse in $73 million lawsuit

In January 2021, the woman filed a lawsuit in which she accused Soulja Boy of both r*pe and physical assault, which occurred while she worked for him. According to court documents, the abuse began shortly after she started working for him in late 2018.

The victim reported not receiving paid compensation totaling $500 per week to perform duties that included household chores alongside trip organization and personal upkeep tasks.

Jane Doe alleged that the professional relationship quickly became personal and then abusive. She claimed that in February 2019, Soulja Boy r*ped her for the first time and gave her $1,000 afterward. Despite this, she remained in the relationship, believing she was in love. According to her complaint, the violence escalated over time, as stated by The Independent on April 11.

"In August of 2020, defendant Way attacked plaintiff so hard that she thought she was going to die," the lawsuit read. "Plaintiff regained consciousness outside of defendant Way's home on the grass, and ran away from the home."

She moved out without taking any of her personal belongings. In total, she sought over $73 million in damages, including both compensatory and punitive damages, citing long-term physical and emotional trauma, as reported by Rolling Stone on April 10.

According to AOL, during closing arguments, Jane Doe's attorney, Ron Zambrano, said:

"If you don't believe my client, don't give her a dollar. But if you do believe her, give her everything."

His colleague, Neama Rahmani, added:

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

According to HotNewHipHop, Soulja Boy and his legal team denied all allegations. His attorney argued that there was no formal employment agreement and that their relationship was consensual.

According to The Independent, the next step in the case will involve the jury deciding whether to award punitive damages. These damages are designed to punish the defendant for particularly harmful behavior and discourage similar conduct in the future.

"We're looking forward to moving on to the punitive damages phase of the case," Zambrano said.

This is not the first time Soulja Boy has faced such accusations. In 2021, he was sued by another ex-girlfriend for allegedly kidnapping her and holding a gun to her head. He was later ordered to pay nearly $472,000 in that case. Another woman also accused him of assault in 2021, alleging he kicked her while she was pregnant, leading to a miscarriage, as reported by AOL.

Soulja Boy, 34, has not released a public statement on the verdict. The court is expected to reconvene soon to determine the outcome of the punitive damages phase. While the rapper remains active online and continues to engage in rap feuds, the legal consequences from this case could have a lasting impact on his career and public image.