Soulja Boy’s financial woes don’t look as if they’ll be easing off anytime soon, as the rapper has been ordered to fulfill his monetary legal obligations despite his $ 1 million tax debt. In early 2023, Soulja Boy (real name DeAndre Cortez Way) was found liable for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend in 2019.
Kayla Myers took the 32-year-old to court claiming that he hit her with a gun, for which she was ultimately awarded $472,000. Half of this amount was for punitive damages, which the rapper has been trying to avoid paying.
According to Radar Online, Myers objected to his proposal by suggesting he sell off his assets, which the Los Angeles Superior Court judge agreed with, pointing out that the “Crank Dat” rapper was in a position to make enough money to satisfy his debt.
“While it is not clear that defendant could just snap his fingers and book as many shows as he would like, neither is it clear that he cannot work at all,” the judge said. “It might not be the work he wants (and he might not be headlining), but the court has no reason to believe that he cannot perform at all.”
Regarding the rapper’s claims about financial struggles, the judge said: “Someone as close to zero (financially) as the defendant claims to be might want to scale down the living arrangements. $25,000 is a lot of monthly rent — even in Los Angeles. There is no reason of which the court is aware that he could not relocate to a more ‘modest’ $10,000/month home.”
He concluded: “Defendant must be earning money from somewhere sufficient to pay for the rent and whatever other monthly expenses he has. In other words, the defendant is paying $300,000/year in rent alone. It stands to reason that he must have some other living expenses. And that money must come from somewhere. It is not coming from loans, for the defendant did not testify as to any other debts.
“So, although the court does not know from whence the money is coming, it is coming from somewhere. It is not an impossible inference to conclude that his overall financial condition must be sufficient to allow him to live the lifestyle he does without going into debt.”
Soulja admitted that his assets are limited: he owns three cars (two worth $250,000 each, and one worth $100,000), has about $18,000 worth of jewelry, and $50,000 worth of stock. His attorney told to the Santa Monica Superior Court that he couldn’t liquidate his assets because “they are in essence, tools of his trade” as an entertainer, and he has an image to maintain.
Even if Soulja Boy were to liquidate all his assets, he couldn’t pay the $476,000 owed to Myers. For that reason, he petitioned the court to forgo the punitive damages awarded to her and, failing that, to throw the whole case out and get a retrial.
He was sued back in 2020 for assault, battery, and false imprisonment, which allegedly occurred at his Malibu home and reportedly lasted for six hours. The SODMG founder was never criminally charged for the assault, but cops later discovered weapons in his home, which violated his probation. He denied any wrongdoing and blamed a third party for Myers’ injuries.
Later that same month, Soulja Boy was ordered to pay Myers $235,000 when the jury found in her favor.
Part of the reason the rapper-turned-Twitch streamer wanted a new trial is that shortly after a jury awarded Myers $235,000, she was awarded an additional $236,000 in “punitive damages,” which is what’s awarded when a defendant is punished for what the court deems is negligence and/or malice on his/her part. In total, the judgment awarded to Myers came close to $500,000.
In response, Soulja’s attorneys filed a motion for a new trial in early June, claiming that there were “irregularities in the proceedings of the court, jury or adverse party, or any order of the court or abuse of discretion by which either party was prevented from having a fair trial.”
Source – HipHopDx
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