Why is Dr. Dre being sued? $10M lawsuit filed by rapper's ex-marriage counselor explored

Dr. Dre faces a $10 million lawsuit from his former marriage counselor, Dr. Charles Sophy, after the latter accused the rapper of a “malicious campaign of harassment.” In the case filed in Los Angeles on October 9, the counselor claimed that Dre, whose real name is Angus Young, barraged him with "abusive and threatening text messages" in February 2023.

Sophy acted as the marriage counselor for Dre and his ex-wife, Nicole. He also acted as a mediator following their split, with their divorce being finalized in December 2021. According to the court documents obtained by TMZ, Sophy claimed Dre falsely accused him of starting a smear campaign against him during his divorce.

The counselor claimed the rapper sent over his people disguised as FBI agents to intimidate him. He said the threat to his life became so severe that he allegedly took to wearing a bullet-proof vest while out in public. According to That Grape Juice, Sophy's legal team said:

“Rather than treating the mediation process as an opportunity for healing, [Dre] decided to take his frustrations about the mediation out on Dr. Sophy — frustrations that manifested themselves in the form of a nearly year-long sustained campaign of late-night texts, threats of intimidation and violence, and homophobic rhetoric.”

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Dr. Dre's lawyer responded to the lawsuit

According to the court documents, Dr. Charles Sophy claimed Dr. Dre bombarded him with threats over texts, calling him a "b***h," a "piece of s**i," and vowing to make him pay for what he did. In his lawsuit, Sophy requested monetary damages worth $10 million. He also asked for a restraining order against Dr. Dre that stated the latter stayed 100 yards away from him.

Dr. Dre's lawyer, Howard King, responded to the lawsuit with a statement to TMZ. He accused the counselor of using the lawsuit as an excuse to pressure the rapper to drop his complaint against Sophy with the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

In 2023, Dre filed a complaint with the board detailing Sophy's alleged "dereliction of duties and incredible incompetence" when he and his ex-wife were undergoing counseling for their marital issues.

"Dr. Sophy filed his suit only after he failed to pressure Mr. Young into dropping efforts to get Dr. Sophy punished for dereliction of duties and incredible incompetence. These claims are set forth in detail in a confidential complaint Mr. Young filed in 2023 with the Osteopathic Medical Board of California," King said.

The complaint sought to revoke Sophy's license to provide mental care for patients, alleging the counselor was in "gross violation" of standard medical care. King added that Sophy allegedly "inserted himself" in the divorce by "treating" not just the couple but also their children.

King claimed that Dr. Dre stopped seeking counseling from Sophy after he found out the counselor was trying to turn one of his children against him.

"He [Sophy] was terminated when it was revealed that he was encouraging one of their children to take sides against Mr. Young, even encouraging his son to go to the press with false allegations in order to force a financial settlement that he recommended," King said.

"Dr. Sophy has consistently rebuffed Medical Board attempts to investigate these claims, but has now filed this desperate suit while the noose of the Medical Board is tightening."

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Dr. Dre met Nicole in the early 1990s. They tied the knot in 1996 and have two kids, Truice and Truly. In January 2020, Nicole accused Dre of physically assaulting her on two separate occasions in 2000 and 2001, which the rapper denied.

She filed for divorce in June 2020. The proceedings were finalized in 2021, with Dr. Dre ordered to pay $100 million as a settlement.