A jury on Thursday ordered rapper DeAndre Cortez @Soulja Boy (Draco) Way to pay $4.25 million to a woman who said he abused her while she lived in his home as a marijuana blunt roller and personal assistant. You can watch the lawyer whi owns the firm that represents the plaintiff discuss the case here @Meghann Cuniff. The verdict in Los Angeles County Superior Court includes $250,000 in punitive damages. The jury of five men and seven women found Way liable for sexual battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment, gender violence and two employment-related claims after a three-week trial that focused on approximately 18 months the woman spent with Way between January 2019 and August 2020. Jurors did not find Way liable for false imprisonment. The woman’s lawyers had asked for $73.5 million in compensatory damages, then asked for $4 million in punitive to match the approximately $4 million the jury awarded in compensatory. I spoke with Soulja outside the courthouse. He said the jury got it wrong. “I firmly believe that the decision made in court was not based on facts or substantial evidence, but rather on factors that were outside of my control,” 34-year-old Way said in a written statement he read aloud outside the courthouse. “The truth was overshadowed by the involvement of individuals such as the jury who were not present during the events in question, and I feel that the system allowed external influences to shape the outcome.” He also said the woman’s anonymity “raises serious concerns about fairness.” “Keeping these individuals anonymous while I’m forced to face public scrutiny creates an unequal playing field. I believe this entire process has been tainted by a system that is not designed to protect the rights of the accused,” Way said. Way said he wants “to make it clear that I’m innocent” and “this case was never about justice.” “It was about money and personal gain, and I will not let that stand. I am committed to filing an appeal and fighting for the truth to be revealed. I will continue to stand by my decision and believe that I did not commit the crimes I’m accused of,” Way said. Way is not charged with a crime, but he’s scheduled for another trial in a similar lawsuit from a former girlfriend who claims years of abuse. In 2023, a jury ordered him to pay a woman $471,900, including $236,000 in punitive damages in another assault and unlawful imprisonment lawsuit. You can read much more about the trial in my article; link in profile! #souljaboy #crime #law #celebrity #legal #lawsuit #rap #hiphop - @meghannmcuniff