DeAndre Cortez Way, known professionally as Soulja Boy, has been found liable in a sexual assault lawsuit filed by his former personal assistant, Jane Doe. Vacchi served as lead defense counsel, the jury just returned a verdict in favor of Plaintiff Doe (pseudonym), granting Ms. By the time the lawsuit started in late January 2021. It charged Soulja Boy with directing multiple acts of physical and sexual assault during her employment with him.
In December of 2018 you were employed by Soulja Boy. She negotiated a weekly salary of $500 for all her housecleaning and cooking duties. Soon, Doe said, her workplace became an abusive environment. In her original complaint, she alleged that Soulja Boy assaulted her at least three times. One episode was so extreme, he knocked her unconscious after punching her in the head with such tremendous force.
A second major claim stemmed from an arrest in August 2020. Doe believed her life was in danger based on Soulja Boy’s behavior at the time. She claimed that he had isolated her in her apartment, cutting off her access to hot water for three days. Soulja Boy’s conduct was outrageous in the weeks she began this new position. He started sending her unsolicited pornographic images within a month of her getting hired.
Regardless of these allegations, Doe and Soulja Boy eventually started a short-lived but consensual romantic relationship that she described as physically aggressive.
Soulja Boy has strongly denied each of the allegations made against him. He stated, “I was never charged or convicted of this, criminally. So, to be accused of this civilly is beyond me. I’ve never done any of the things they’re accusing me of. I just feel like this is very unfair.”
His attorney expressed concern regarding the influences on the trial, saying, “It is unfortunate that aspersions and misperceptions of a culture were allowed to influence the trial.”
Speaking in the wake of the jury’s verdict, Ron Zambrano, attorney for Jane Doe, said he was pleased with the outcome. He remarked, “We’re happy our client was vindicated and the jury believed her claims of physical and sexual assault.”
Soulja Boy has already expressed his intention to seek post-trial relief to challenge the verdict’s findings.