Four years after he was accused by a woman of rape and kidnapping, Soulja Boy is facing a civil trial for the shocking allegations in a California court this month. Here’s everything we know about the case.
Soulja Boy Is Accused of Disturbing Crimes in Lawsuit, Takes Case to Trial
On Jan. 21, 2021, Soulja was sued in Los Angeles Superior Court by an anonymous former female employee. The woman claims she was raped, beaten and held hostage by the Atlanta-bred rapper, who also subjected her to a hostile work environment and did not pay her the wages that she earned.
Jane Doe claimed she began working as SB’s personal assistant in December of 2018. She alleges that Soulja expected her to be readily available to cook, clean, chauffeur and perform personal assistant duties 20 hours a day, seven days a week, for an agreed-upon wage of $500 a week. However, the woman says she was never paid.
In 2019, the woman claims she began receiving unsolicited penis pictures from the rapper. They started a romantic relationship shortly afterward, but the woman claims Soulja soon became abusive. Doe alleges Soulja raped her in February of 2019 and gave her $1,000 as a remorse payment.
“On one occasion, defendant Way punched plaintiff so hard in the head, she lost consciousness, only to wake up in a locked bedroom with no mattress, food or water,” according to the lawsuit. “On another occasion when plaintiff tried to quit and leave defendant Way, defendant Way locked her in a room for approximately three day against her will with no hot water until she was coerced into not leaving.”
The woman claims she was attacked by Soulja again in August of 2020 and finally moved out as a result. When she returned to gather her belongings in October of 2020, Soulja Boy raped her again, the lawsuit states. He sexually assaulted her again several months later when she made another attempt to get her things, Doe alleges.
Soulja Boy has denied the claims. Four years later, the case is finally going to trial.
The Trial Starts
The trial started last week in Santa Monica, Calif. with opening statements beginning on March 13. Soulja Boy’s attorney, Rickey Ivie, claimed the rapper and accuser had a romantic relationship and there was never a business agreement in place. He also attacked the credibility of Doe’s previous statements about her injuries. Ivie questioned one claim in particular where the woman says she was prevented from leaving Soulja Boy’s home because she was “chased by a mountain lion.”
“The plaintiff’s claim is not supported by reliable evidence,” Ivie said. “The claims are driven by the ulterior motives of jealousy, revenge, and financial gain.”
The accuser is expected to take the stand on Wednesday (March 19). She is seeking unspecified general and punitive damages.
