Soulja Boy Ordered to Pay Millions After Jury Finds Him Liable for Assault, Harassment

Soulja Boy performs during the 2024 "BET Hip Hop Awards" on Oct. 8 in Las Vegas. A Los Angeles jury ordered him to pay $4.25 million in a civil abuse case on April 11. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

A Los Angeles jury has ordered rapper DeAndre Cortez Way, better known as Soulja Boy, to pay $4.25 million in damages to a woman who accused him of sustained sexual and physical abuse during the time she lived and worked with him.

The verdict, delivered Thursday, found Way liable on several civil counts, including sexual battery, assault, gender violence, sexual harassment, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Jurors awarded $4 million in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitive damages to the plaintiff, who filed the lawsuit under the pseudonym Jane Doe.

"I got some justice," the woman told reporters after the verdict. "I’m happy that this is all over now."

Her attorney, Neama Rahmani of West Coast Trial Lawyers, called the decision a milestone. "Today is just the beginning of justice for Soulja Boy's victims," he said.

Soulja Boy is asked by reporter Meghann Cuniff if he prefers Indica or Sativa after walking into the courtroom smelling like weed 💀
pic.twitter.com/EJ5F07bnmW

— No Jumper (@nojumper) March 26, 2025

Way, 34, rose to fame in 2007 with the viral chart-topper "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," but has since been embroiled in multiple legal disputes. Speaking outside the courtroom, he expressed disappointment in the outcome and maintained his innocence.

"This case was never about justice. It was about money and personal gain," he said, reading from a statement. "I want to make it clear that I'm innocent. I am committed to filing an appeal and fighting for the truth to be revealed."

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2021, alleged that the woman was employed as Way’s assistant from early 2019 through mid-2020, during which time she was subjected to escalating abuse. She testified that she handled personal tasks for Way, including styling his hair, arranging travel, and ensuring a steady supply of fast food and marijuana. Text messages presented in court reflected these duties, along with a disturbing pattern of verbal abuse.

"Fuk u bitch. I hope u die slow," Way wrote in one message. In another, the woman replied, "You think you can keep hitting on me you are crazy."

She testified that the abuse left her physically and emotionally broken. "I didn’t even feel human anymore," she said. "I felt like an animal."

Despite denying that he employed the plaintiff, Way admitted under oath that he had referred to her as his assistant at least once in public. His legal team argued she received room and board in exchange for rolling marijuana blunts, which they claimed was common practice in the entertainment industry.

The jury was unconvinced, finding Way liable on seven of the nine claims brought against him. He was cleared of false imprisonment and constructive discharge.

During the punitive damages phase, Way testified about his financial situation, claiming that he could not pay the full amount. "As far as $4 million just to pull out and pay, I don’t have that," he said.

He cited mounting legal expenses, $25,000 in monthly rent, and the cost of caring for two young children. He also said he lost a performance slot at Coachella due to the allegations and that his music income had suffered. Despite claiming he had earned $15–20 million from "Crank That," he said he could not confirm royalty figures or his total 2024 earnings.

Way’s current income includes sporadic streaming revenue and modest earnings from TikTok appearances and entrepreneurial ventures like a cologne line and previously shuttered video game project. He testified that his bank account "fluctuates" and that the trial had financially drained him.

This is not the first time Way has been held liable for abuse. In 2023, he was ordered to pay nearly half a million dollars to another woman, Kayla Myers, who alleged domestic violence and unlawful imprisonment. He did not appeal that judgment. He also faces an ongoing lawsuit from ex-girlfriend Nia Riley, who appeared with him on the reality show "Love & Hip Hop."

Rahmani called the latest verdict a warning to the music industry. "The days of physically and sexually abusing your employees? Those days are over."

The plaintiff, 37, said she’s now focused on building a new life, one that includes a chicken farm—and a chick named Chicki Minaj.

"It’s not going to give me my life back," she said, "but it’s going to help. I don’t want to be anybody’s assistant for a while."

R&B Icon Toni Braxton Wed Birdman Last Summer, Quietly Called It Off — Then Undid It

The couple posing together in a previously deleted Instagram post. 

Toni Braxton and Birdman’s long-running romance took an unexpected turn last year — one they never publicly acknowledged until now.

According to court documents obtained by "TMZ" and confirmed through multiple sources, the R&B legend and Cash Money Records co-founder quietly tied the knot on Aug. 8, 2024. But just two days later, Braxton filed for divorce, citing that the marriage was “irretrievably broken.”

The singer, 57, listed Aug. 10 as their date of separation in legal filings. However, in a surprising twist, she dismissed the divorce petition in January 2025, and Birdman (born Bryan Christopher Williams) signed off on the decision — meaning the two remain legally married.

Still, the couple’s current relationship status is unclear. Braxton has not been seen wearing a wedding ring in recent Instagram posts, and both she and Birdman have reportedly scrubbed photos of each other from their social media accounts.

The news contradicts a statement Braxton made in December 2023, when she publicly denied rumors of a secret wedding and insisted, “My dear friend @birdman and I are not married…never been married. We are both single.” She ended the message with a sharp “#FAKENEWS.”

The pair’s relationship has been marked by years of stops and starts. After decades of friendship, they began dating in May 2016. Birdman proposed in early 2018 with a $1 million diamond ring, but the couple called off the engagement in 2019 before reconciling shortly afterward.

Throughout their on-again, off-again relationship, both have spoken publicly about their bond.

 

In a 2017 episode of "Braxton Family Values," Braxton gushed, “He likes to do things to show that he cares about me, like sending flowers… He’s an undercover gentleman and he makes me feel adored.” A year later, Birdman echoed the sentiment on "The Wendy Williams Show," calling her “my love, my soldier, my everything.”

Most recently, in an April 2024 interview with People, Braxton described herself as single and “looking forward to getting out there and dating.”

If their 2024 nuptials hold, this would be Braxton’s second marriage. She was previously married to musician Keri Lewis from 2001 to 2013, with whom she shares two sons, Denim and Diezel. Birdman has never been married but has two adult children — Bryan Jr. and Bria — from a previous relationship.

As of today, neither Braxton nor Birdman has commented publicly on their status — leaving fans to wonder whether their love story is officially over or simply paused.

Alice Tan Ridley, Gospel Voice of NYC’s Underground and Mother of Gabourey Sidibe, Dies

Alice Tan Ridley performs for commuters at the 34th Street–Herald Square subway station in New York City, where she sang for decades before rising to national fame. " (Photo by Kbwords, via Wikimedia Commons)

Alice Tan Ridley, a beloved gospel and R&B singer whose powerhouse vocals captivated New York City subway riders for decades — and later millions of TV viewers — has died. She was 72.

Perhaps best known to mainstream audiences as the mother of Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious"), Ridley carved out her own remarkable path in entertainment, rising from subway platforms to the national stage when she became a semifinalist on "America’s Got Talent" in 2010.

Ridley died March 25 in New York, her family confirmed. Her daughter, son Ahmed Sidibe, and twin grandchildren survive her.

Ridley’s emotional performance of Etta James’ “At Last” during her AGT audition brought the house down — but her story stretched far beyond the spotlight. For years before that moment, the Georgia-born performer was a staple at Herald Square, singing for tips and drawing crowds with a voice that stopped busy commuters in their tracks.

Born Dec. 21, 1952, in Charles Junction, Georgia, Ridley was the seventh of eight siblings in a musically inclined family. “Every one of us sings or plays music,” she told The New York Times in a 2016 interview. Inspired by artists like Aretha Franklin and Mahalia Jackson, she moved to New York in the 1970s and became a special education teacher in Brooklyn. But after losing her job and navigating the challenges of single motherhood, she turned to busking to support her family.

Happy Mothers Day to all mothers but especially to mine who is the best! 💐🌸🌷💐🌸🌸💐🌹🌸💐🐅🐯🐯 pic.twitter.com/MHB81iNZBH

— Gabby Sidibe (@GabbySidibe) May 10, 2015

“I was a big secret,” Ridley said. “With so many people passing by, I wondered, ‘Why doesn’t somebody introduce me to someone who could help me out?’”

That someone eventually came along. In 2010, Israeli student Dvir Assouline spotted Ridley performing and became her manager. Not long after, she made her prime-time debut, mesmerizing viewers nationwide.

Ridley’s road to recognition included stops beyond "AGT." She won $25,000 on Fox’s "30 Seconds to Fame" in 2002, sang "Amazing Grace" in the 2005 documentary "Rize," and performed "America the Beautiful" in the feature film "Heights." She was also a regular performer at Harlem’s Cotton Club.

At 63, she released her first studio album, "Never Lost My Way," a mix of covers and originals co-written with producer Jay Stolar. She toured internationally, performed at B.B. King’s in New York, and lent her voice to commercial campaigns for Buick and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Even with her newfound fame, Ridley remained connected to her subway roots. In 2014, she returned underground to perform. “When I was no longer down under there, I missed it,” she told The New York Times.

Ridley retired in 2018 after being diagnosed with dementia. In addition to her children and grandchildren, she is survived by siblings James, Tommy, Julia, and Mildred. She was preceded in death by her sister Dorothy Pittman Hughes, a pioneering civil rights activist, and her brother Roger Ridley, the singer whose street performance of “Stand by Me” helped launch the Playing For Change movement.