Soulja Boy’s Alleged Sufferer Asks for $73 Million in Closing Arguments

The lawyer of a lady accusing Soulja Boy of rape portrayed him as a brutal boss who repeatedly beat and sexually assaulted the Jane Doe after which dressed up in “pretend glasses” and a go well with in court docket to mislead jurors in regards to the alleged abuse. Within the rapper’s protection, his lawyer painted the Grammy-nominated artist because the sufferer of a vengeful ex-girlfriend peddling a “false story” for cash.

Throughout closing arguments in a California courtroom Monday, Doe usually cried and wiped tears as her lawyer mentioned she deserves $73,620,000 in previous and current damages for alleged horrors suffered throughout a dwelling and dealing relationship with the “Crank That” rapper in 2019 and 2020.

The lady claimed the artist, whose actual title is DeAndre Cortez Approach, employed her as his salaried private assistant in January 2019 after they met by means of a buddy. She alleged he raped her for the primary time throughout a police raid of his Malibu hills mansion in February 2019 after which assaulted and sexually battered her frequently for greater than a 12 months. She admitted her skilled position crossed over right into a extremely “poisonous” romantic relationship that was consensual at instances, however she alleged Approach “abused his place of authority” and emotionally manipulated her, her lawyer argued Monday.

“He raped her, he punched her, he kicked her, he reduce her. He picked up after which slammed her, choked her, left bruises from squeezing her arm. He grabbed her head by a mirror and mentioned, ‘Nobody will love you,’” legal professional Ronald Zambrano instructed jurors as his shopper broke down crying. “He pointed a Draco gun at her. He locked her in a room, threatened her household, threatened her, denied her meals.”

The lawyer confirmed the jurors display grabs from textual content messages between the lady and Approach. In one of the disturbing exchanges from April 20, 2020, Approach texted “I hope u die gradual.” The Jane Doe responded with, “You suppose you may hold hitting on me, you might be loopy,” to which Approach responded, “Fuck u bitch.” In different messages, Approach instructed the lady, “I hope you catch corona, bitch,”  and, “I ought to have killed your ass,” Zambrano instructed the jury. The lawyer faulted Approach for avoiding all “accountability” for the hurt he purportedly inflicted. He mentioned his shopper, by comparability, was sincere about smoking weed, calling different girls “bitch,” posing for photos with weapons, and having consensual intercourse with Approach at instances.

“These are issues that aren’t flattering. How embarrassing for her, however she nonetheless admitted it,” he mentioned. “He’s owned as much as nothing. Not one textual content message, not one {photograph}. He hasn’t owned as much as one factor that doesn’t flatter him.” The lawyer known as Approach a performer who was basically wearing nerd cosplay all through the trial. He reminded jurors that underneath cross-examination, Approach admitted the eyeglasses he was sporting had clear, prescription-less lenses.

“It was an act, a four-week act with glasses and a go well with,” Zambrano argued. “The act you’re being requested to purchase, sadly, my shopper did purchase it. It’s why she went again. … I ask that you just don’t fall for the person sitting over there with pretend glasses on making an attempt to persuade you he’s incapable of the bruises you’ve seen, the cuts you’ve seen, the textual content messages he despatched.”

When it was his flip to talk, Approach’s lead lawyer, Rickie Ivie, instructed jurors that the lady’s story about her alleged abuse “advanced over time.” He mentioned that when she first reported her allegations to police in December 2020, she didn’t inform the deputy that Approach allegedly knocked her unconscious on one event and smacked her within the mouth and compelled oral copulation. Ivie claimed {that a} bodyguard who accompanied the lady to a ultimate assembly with Approach in late 2020 testified that the lady “was the aggressor” in a ultimate bodily confrontation that day. “Why would he lie?” Ivie requested, referring to the bodyguard. “He was referred by a buddy and employed by her lawyer. What’s his motive to lie? He doesn’t have one.”

Ivie instructed jurors that the lady was by no means a salaried worker, solely an impartial contractor who agreed to a barter transaction by which she would “roll blunts” for Approach in alternate for her room and board. He known as the association an “trade commonplace.”

Ivie additional argued that the Jane Doe might have escaped her alleged false imprisonment at Approach’s home when she traveled to Las Vegas or Kentucky to be with him. “I believe you will discover somebody to complain to at an airport. They’re stuffed with police provides, TSA officers. There’s assist throughout,” he argued.

The lawyer claimed the lady provided to resolve her claims towards Approach in December 2020 by demanding $50,000 and a Dodge Charger. He known as the hassle “extortion.”

“Plaintiff is motivated by jealousy, revenge and monetary acquire,” he instructed the jury. “She needed to be paid. That’s what this case is all about. It’s not in regards to the fact, it’s simply not.”

In a single argument that clearly enraged Zambrano, Ivie claimed that the sequence of pictures of the lady’s alleged accidents — proven repeatedly throughout the trial — weren’t conclusive. He questioned when precisely they have been taken and the way they need to be perceived. “The images don’t finish the story, they solely elevate extra questions,” Ivie argued.

In his ultimate rebuttal argument, Zambrano mentioned Ivie’s argument left him “offended.” He mentioned Approach tried to discredit one of many pictures exhibiting the lady’s bruised neck however later needed to admit it was snapped in his residence as a result of one in every of his items of paintings was seen within the background.

“Apparently, she didn’t get beat up sufficient,” Zambrano scoffed, referring to Ivie’s dismissal of the pictures. “The reduce wasn’t deep sufficient. The bruise wasn’t purple sufficient. Effectively, subsequent time, we’ll take one other two weeks so we are able to actually get into that.”

The decide overseeing the trial began studying jury directions late Monday however ran out of time. He ordered the panel again to start their deliberations Tuesday morning.

In graphic and harrowing testimony delivered final month, the lady detailed her alleged abuse, beginning with the purported lavatory assault throughout the police raid in 2019. She claimed Approach chucked a number of weapons out a window right into a steep canyon and was making an attempt to eliminate narcotics in a rest room when he allegedly spun her round, pulled her pants down and “began having intercourse” along with her. She didn’t instantly report the alleged assault to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputies who raided the house as a result of she was “terrified” of Approach and attainable retaliation, she testified.

“I feared for my life,” Doe instructed the jury on the fourth day of the civil trial. She claimed Approach instructed her he knew the place her mom lived and had threatened to “ship shooters” to the home. “I used to be terrified of what he would do to my household. I didn’t need him to harm anyone due to me,” she testified.

The lady mentioned she was so determined for meals whereas dwelling with Approach in early 2019, she gathered unfastened change from the house and gave it to the property’s gardeners so they might purchase her on the spot noodles. She claimed she dropped from 140 kilos right down to 86 kilos earlier than Approach was despatched to jail in April 2019 for a probation violation linked to the raid. “I didn’t even really feel human anymore. I felt like an animal,” she mentioned.

When it was his flip to testify, Approach admitted there was a sexual encounter with the lady when police confirmed up on the door of his $25,000-a-month rental residence to serve the search warrant — however he claimed she consented. “I requested her if she needed to have intercourse, and she or he was engaged in it,” he mentioned. “She didn’t push me or say cease, nothing like that.”

Approach, 34, denied he ever abused the lady in any manner, claiming they “bonded” throughout their time collectively and all the time acted voluntarily. He mentioned the lady would deal with errands for him as a result of he provided her a free place to stay they usually struck up a private relationship, not as a result of she was a paid worker.

“Did you ever hit the plaintiff within the mouth, bust her lip, and power her to provide you oral intercourse?” his lawyer Ivie requested throughout Approach’s testimony. “After all not, and that’s a disgusting allegation,” Approach responded. “It sounds loopy to me. I didn’t do this.”

Doe, who filed her lawsuit in January 2021, is suing Approach with claims he subjected her to sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, emotional misery, unpaid additional time, and a hostile work surroundings. She claims Approach punched her within the head on at the very least 10 separate events. She alleges one incident was so brutal that she misplaced consciousness and awoke in a locked room with no meals or water.

Approach has additionally been accused of bodily and sexual assault by former girlfriends Kayla Myers and mannequin Nia Riley, the daughter of musician Teddy Riley. Approach appeared on the truth reveals Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood and Marriage Bootcamp with Riley.

In 2021, Riley sat down with YouTube vlogger TashaK and mentioned Approach threatened her with a gun and kicked her within the abdomen whereas she was pregnant, inflicting her to endure a miscarriage. A lawsuit filed by a Jane Doe in Could 2021 mirrors the allegations made publicly by Riley. That case initially resulted in a default judgment, however Approach is difficult the default, blaming his prior lawyer for failing to share his correct contact data.

In a separate lawsuit, Myers claimed she had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship with Approach that ended when the rapper allegedly held a gun to her head, threatened her life, and assaulted her at his residence on Feb. 1, 2019. A civil court docket jury discovered Approach accountable for the assault and kidnapping of Myers at a trial.