$4.25 Million Jury Verdict Against Rapper Soulja Boy for Assault, Sexual Battery, and Emotional Distress

In January 2021, a woman identified as Jane Doe filed suit against rapper DeAndre Cortez Way, known professionally as Soulja Boy, alleging nearly two years of physical violence, sexual assault, and abuse she endured while working as his live-in personal assistant beginning in 2018. She alleged he subjected her to repeated beatings, rape, confinement without food or water, threats, and being thrown from a moving vehicle. Her original lawsuit sought $75 million.

The case went to trial in a Santa Monica courtroom in early 2025. West Coast Trial Lawyers attorneys Ron Zambrano, Neama Rahmani, and Dean Aynechi represented Jane Doe at trial. Aynechi led key portions of the cross-examination, pressing the rapper and his manager on photographic evidence of bruising and confronting contradictions in their accounts. When the manager claimed bruises photographed in August 2020 were from a February 2019 fight, Aynechi asked him directly: 'Would you agree with me that a human would not have bruises on them from February of 2019 in August of 2020?' Text messages in which the manager acknowledged the injuries to Jane Doe were entered into evidence.

On April 12, 2025, the jury returned a verdict finding Soulja Boy liable on claims of assault, sexual battery, gender violence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The jury did not find liability on false imprisonment or hostile work environment. It awarded $4 million in compensatory damages, broken down across the liability findings, plus $250,000 in punitive damages, for a total of $4.25 million.

Soulja Boy maintained his innocence after the verdict and announced plans to appeal. Following the verdict, efforts to enforce the judgment included proceedings to reach the rapper's BMI music royalties. Post-trial, the trial judge noted the size of the non-economic damages award relative to the plaintiff's claimed economic losses but, as of reporting, did not reduce the verdict.

Rahmani stated after the verdict: 'Today's verdict is just the beginning of justice for Soulja Boy's victims, and other victims in the music industry.'