Soulja Boy says the jury got it wrong in a prepared statement he read off his phone to the press after coming out on the losing end of a sexual battery lawsuit yesterday.
Soulja Boy Reads Statement to Press After Lawsuit Loss
On Thursday (April 10), Soulja Boy was ordered to pay a woman $4 million in compensatory damages after being held liable for assault, sexual battery and infliction of emotional distress. He also has to cough up an additional $250,000 in punitive damages. The 34-year-old rhymer maintained his innocence in a statement he read to reporters outside the Santa Monica, Calif. courthouse.
“Today, I stand before you deeply disappointed in the verdict delivered in my case,” Soulja says in the video below. “I firmly believe that the decision made in court was not based on facts or substantial evidence, but rather on factors were outside of my control. The truth was overshadowed by individuals such as the jury who were not present during the events in question. And I feel that the system allowed external influences to shape the outcome.”
SB partially blamed the verdict on his accuser being able to remain anonymous.
“Keeping these individuals anonymous while I’m forced to face public scrutiny creates an unequal playing field,” he adds. “I believe this entire process has been tainted by a system that is not designed to protect the rights of the accused.”
Read More: Blueface Has to Pay the Mother of Soulja Boy’s Child Over $120,000 for Defamation – Report
The woman was seeking $73.6 million after accusing the rapper in a 2021 lawsuit of rape, kidnapping and unpaid wages. She claimed she was first hired as his assistant in 2018 and they began dating a year later. However, the woman claimed Soulja became violent and assaulted and raped her on multiple occasions. The jury did not find him liable for false imprisonment or hostile work environment.
In a statement to XXL, Soulja Boy’s attorney, Rickey Ivie, agreed with his client’s assessment. “We maintain that the evidence does not support the verdict,” Ivie said. “It is unfortunate that aspersions and misperceptions of a culture were allowed to influence the trial. Mr. Way fully intends to pursue his post-trial remedies and to fight for a just result in this case.”
Oppositely, the accuser’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, believes the correct decision was made. “We’re happy our client was vindicated and the jury believed her claims of physical and sexual assault,” he told XXL.
Read More: 12 Rappers Who Beat Major Legal Cases and Walked Away With a Victory
Check out Soulja Boy’s statement below.
Watch Soulja Boy Read a Prepared Statement to the Press After Being Found Liable in a Civil Suit
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