Soulja Boy ordered to pay $4m after losing sex assault case

Soulja Boy, a well-known rapper, has been ordered to pay a significant amount of money after a woman accused him of serious wrongdoing. The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, filed a lawsuit against Soulja Boy, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, in 2021. She claimed that during her time working as his assistant, he repeatedly assaulted her and even kept her confined against her will. Soulja Boy denied these allegations, insisting that their relationship was consensual. However, after a civil trial, a jury found him responsible for sexual battery, assault, and gender violence, leading to a verdict that requires him to pay $4. 25 million. When the verdict was announced, Soulja Boy maintained a calm demeanor, but he expressed his intention to appeal the decision, asserting his innocence and a desire to reveal the truth. The woman expressed a sense of justice after the trial, although she acknowledged that the ruling could not undo the pain she experienced. She stated, 'I lost way more than I gained. My hope is he doesn't do this to any more women. ' Soulja Boy is recognized for his party rap style, with hits like 'Crank That' and 'Kiss Me Thru The Phone'. At his peak in 2010, he reportedly earned $7 million, but he has since branched out into other ventures, including music production and video game development. According to court documents, the woman began working for Soulja Boy in 2018, and shortly after, they entered into a romantic relationship. However, she claimed that the relationship quickly turned abusive. She testified that she lost nearly half of her body weight during their time together, dropping to a dangerously low weight before she managed to escape. She described her experience in the relationship as dehumanizing, saying, 'I didn't even feel human anymore. I felt like an animal. ' She revealed that she stayed in the relationship out of fear, as Soulja Boy threatened to harm her or her family if she tried to leave. Text messages presented in court illustrated the complexity of their relationship. While he would ask her to perform typical assistant duties, he also sent her threatening messages, including 'I hope you die slow' and 'I should have killed your ass'. Soulja Boy's lawyer argued that the woman fabricated her story, claiming she was motivated by jealousy and a desire for financial gain. Although the jury found him liable for sexual assault, they cleared him of charges related to false imprisonment and wrongful termination. This is not the first time Soulja Boy has faced such allegations; in 2023, he was ordered to pay a former girlfriend $471,900 due to a separate assault and kidnapping lawsuit.