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DJ Akademiks, a media personality and host of the Off The Record podcast, has been sued for allegedly raping a woman.
In a civil lawsuit filed in New Jersey Superior Court Monday, which was obtained by USA TODAY Tuesday, Fauziya “Ziya” Abashe alleged Akademics, whose real name is Livingston Allen "brutally" raped her in July 2022. She also alleged two unnamed "accomplices" drugged and raped her at Allen's house earlier that day.
Abashe, described as a writer who lives in Pennsylvania, sued Allen and two John Does for sexual assault, negligent infliction of emotional distress and defamation and requested a jury trial.
Tyrone Blackburn, Abashe's lawyer, said in a statement shared with USA TODAY Tuesday, "Litigation is always the last resort. After several unsuccessful attempts to resolve this case privately, Ms Abashe was left with no choice but to file. Mr. Allen’s hubris will be his downfall."
USA TODAY has reached out to Allen for comment.
DJ Akademiks' response to the lawsuit
Allen, who also co-hosts Complex's series, "Everyday Struggle," and has accumulated several million followers across social media sites including YouTube, X and Twitch, has been garnering attention recently for his coverage of the rap beef between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
In a Rumble livestream Tuesday, Allen appeared to address the lawsuit, saying, "I'm going to go against my very high-priced attorney's advice today, but I'm still not going to say much."
He added, "My only comment should really be: Whatever this is will be handled in court. Just know, according to the law and according to the police and according to all sanctioning governing authorities, Akademiks is an innocent man who has not ever been charged with anything of the sort that has to do with any deviancy or anything like that, has never been charged, will never be charged. That's a fact."
He called the lawsuit "a shakedown," adding, "This is a money tree situation."
What is DJ Akademiks accused of doing?
In her lawsuit, Abashe said she started "casually dating" Allen after meeting through social media in 2021. The July 2022 incident took place about a year after they last saw each other, she said.
After arriving at Allen's New Jersey home on July 16, 2022, she alleged John Doe one and John Doe two fixed her a drink that was drugged and plied her with alcohol while she was in a hot tub before sexually assaulting her on Allen's pool deck while she was unconscious. She also alleged Allen raped her afterward.
According to her lawsuit, Abashe went to the police to report the assaults and had a sexual assault forensic exam performed. The complaint also states Abashe believes police used evidence provided by her to obtain a warrant from a judge and get a hold of footage and evidence of the assault.
"Mr. Allen and his two accomplices’ sexual assault severely injured Ms. Abashe, causing significant physical and psychological pain and suffering, loss of dignity, and invasion of her privacy," the lawsuit reads. "Mr. Allen's public statements added to the harm Ms. Abashe was already silently suffering with."
Abashe said she "remained silent" until Allen took to his social media accounts in December and "accused Ms. Abashe of voluntarily having an orgy with his friends at his home while maintaining that he never participated at all."
In his Rumble livestream, Allen seemingly confirmed a police investigation had been conducted and claimed he was "cleared" of wrongdoing.
"I told the truth: Hey, the police came, they looked, we gave them everything, pretty much everything is documented, caught on video tape. They got to see it with their own two eyes," he said.
"Not only did they say Ak, you good — and that's not just word of mouth — you're officially cleared. We could not bring any criminal charges. You are not criminally liable. Also, anybody else in the situation was also cleared."
He said: “I can’t talk about too much because I’ve paid lawyers to handle shit in court. These people who are coming at me are hoping that I fuck that up by handling it on social media. The police wants nothing to do with this. They’re saying there is no crime.”
Ak then insinuated that the lawsuit was filed due to his reporting on Diddy‘s legal troubles as Abashe shares a lawyer with the mogul’s sexual assault accuser Lil Rod.
“Is it possible that that person who’s really seeing the money grab was really the Diddy stuff? And who was the biggest n-gga that covered the Diddy stuff?” he asked. “That lawyer allegedly reached out to some people of mine saying, ‘If Ak continues to doubt what we are purporting against Diddy, remember, we can file a lawsuit on him too.’
“Let me tell you this about everyone in the industry: if Ak ever goes down, y’all going down with me. ‘Cause I hold no secrets for nobody.”
R. Kelly is on a prison concert tour?
A May 1 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows several images of R&B star and convicted sex trafficker R. Kelly in a prison jumpsuit. The collage also includes photos of Kelly singing and a room full of inmates.
“They got R.Kelly on tour going to all da jails doing concerts (sic),” the caption reads.
The post was shared more than 7,000 times in nearly two weeks. Other versions of the claim circulated online.
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The images are fabricated. Experts who analyzed the photos found them likely to be AI-generated. A Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson said it is against policy to allow inmates to travel between facilities.
50 CENT TEARS INTO DIDDY'S SON KING COMBS AFTER THREATENING DISS SONG
50 Cent has fired back at Diddy’s son King Combs after he released a diss track called “Pick a Side” aimed at his father’s detractors.
On the song, King explicitly calls out 50 for taunting the Bad Boy boss and the rest of the Combs family as they face numerous allegations involving sexual assault and sex trafficking.
“When all they had was 50 Cent who put the city on the map?/ Stop lying, pops been hated on by many men and n-gga, that’s fine/ They gon’ try to stop these Eminems and they gon’ die tryin,'” the 26-year-old warns.
He also spits: “I dare one of you n-ggas scream out ‘no Diddy,'” referencing the “pause”-inspired phrase made popular by 50 Cent during his relentless trolling campaign against Puffy.
As expected, 50 did not take long to respond to the jab, posting a picture on Instagram of King performing with his father on stage.
He then sarcastically commented: “I feel so threatened by the things Christian is saying on his record. I’m afraid for my life, please don’t hurt me guys. I never mentioned or posted anything about puffy’s kids because KEEFE D said he killed 2Pac LOL.”
The G-Unit founder then rehashed the sexual assault allegations against King (real name Christian Combs) and posted pictures of the alleged victim’s injuries.
He also wrote: “Damn @kingcombs that what you told Grace O’Marcaigh on that boat huh, gave her the puffy juice with that special sauce in it. LOL BOY OH BOY! BAD BOY FOR LIFE!”
But 50 wasn’t done there. He later highlighted lyrics from “Pick a Side” where King raps: “Knock them walls down like when them feddy boys ran in both of our cribs/ Too bad they ain’t know we ’bout to run next door ’cause that’s the one they missed.”
In his caption, 50 wrote: “Now why would you say some shit like this [facepalm emoji] when you know the FEDS are investigating. IS YOU STUPID OR IS YOU DUMB? LOL.”
Stevie Wonder Granted Ghanaian Citizenship
Stevie Wonder is officially making good on a promise to make the West African country his permanent home.
“I Steveland Morris swear solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm that I will be faithful, and bear true allegiance to the Republic of Ghana,” the music icon stated during his swearing ceremony.
He was wearing what appeared to be traditional Ghanaian garb and his signature leather hat. President H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo conferred Wonder’s citizenship during a ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra.
As we previously reported, Ghana has been on Wonder’s mind over the last few decades. During an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the songwriter said he desires to live in a place where he is valued. Wonder has been vocal about growing weary of “America’s unwillingness” to accept all its citizens equally.
“I don’t want to see my children’s children’s children have to say, ‘Oh, please like me. Please respect me, please know that I’m important, please value me,'” he replied to Winfrey when asked why he planned to relocate to Ghana.
Wonder’s citizenship marks a significant achievement for Ghana, where country leaders have worked to attract diasporan Africans to invest, live and work there.
More Black Americans relocating to Africa
Ghanaian leaders invited African diasporans to “come home” during what is now known as the country’s iconic “Year of Return” campaign. In 2019, Country leaders invited those of African descent on a “major landmark spiritual and birth-right journey.” 2019 marked 400 years since enslaved Africans first arrived in the United States.
“‘The Year of Return, Ghana 2019’ celebrated the cumulative resilience of all the victims of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade who were scattered and displaced through the world in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia,” leaders said in a news release about the campaign.
Over 1 million people visited Ghana during the campaign, including Cardi B., Idris Elba, Naomi Campbell, Steve Harvey and more. Visitors invested more than $3.3 billion in Ghana’s local economy. Following that successful campaign, country leaders set their sights on getting diasporans to invest and live in Ghana, prompting them to launch the “Beyond the Return” campaign.
As more Black American families consider relocating amid racial tensions, many people are considering Ghana. In 2019, country leaders granted 126 African diasporans citizenship. Ghana is one of a handful of African countries that have stepped forward in offering citizenship based on ancestry. Under its “Right of Abode” section, Ghana grants people of African descent to stay indefinitely with a path to apply for citizenship. In Sierra Leone, those who can prove lineage through ancestry can also obtain full citizenship. Idris Elba notably obtained citizenship in Sierra Leone, his father’s native country. Nigeria has the same policy for diasporans, while South Africa offers free citizenship to African Americans without proof of lineage.
Now that Wonder has fulfilled his dream, we’re watching to see if Dave Chappelle will be next. The comedian stated he was inspired by Wonder’s interview.
