Rapper Soulja Boy was found liable for claims of assault and sexual battery of his former assistant by a California jury Thursday. After a three-week trial, Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was ordered to pay $4 million in damages to the plaintiff, referred to as Jane Doe. One of the plaintiff’s attorneys, Neama Rahmani, said that “today is just the beginning of justice for Soulja Boy’s victims.” He added: “We are going to ask for millions of dollars more based on his ability to pay, and to punish him for this egregious physical and sexual assault.” Doe originally filed her complaint in January 2021, accusing Way of false imprisonment, gender violence, and sexual battery, among other claims. The abuse came when she worked as his live-in personal assistant, she said, later testifying through tears how she “wanted to die” when she was with him. Her lawyer, Ron Zambrano, said that Way kicked, punched, cut, and raped her, pointed a gun at her, and locked her in her room, telling Doe “I hope you die slow.” Way, who listened to his verdict on Thursday with a smile, denied all accusations against him. His attorney, Rickey Ivie, said “she was rolling blunts” and “got room and board,” which was just “the industry standard.” In 2021, Way was also sued for allegedly assaulting and putting a gun to a pregnant woman’s head, and for allegedly assaulting and kidnapping another, holding a gun to her head as well.
