Belly Is Suing Coachella For A ‘Sickening And Unprovoked Brutal Assault’ By Security Guards In 2018

Last year, Belly performed at Coachella, and he said at the time that it was the best night of his life. That doesn’t mean the weekend was entirely without incident, though. Now, he is suing the festival and security company IPS for an alleged assault carried out against him by a large group of security guards.

According to court documents filed on July 24, Belly claims that when trying to access a backstage VIP area during a performance by The Weeknd, he was attacked by up to 25 security guards, despite having “all necessary credentials.” During the incident, the guards supposedly “repeatedly grabbed, punched, kicked, and choked him in a coordinated manner,” which caused “severe injuries to his face, teeth, jaw, eyes, head, ribs, chest, arms, and legs, as well as neurological damage.”

Belly is suing for assault and battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other things. He is seeking punitive, general and special damages for medical and psychiatric costs, as well as “economic loss” he endured due to the incident.

Belly’s lawyer Ben Meiselas told Billboard, “The sickening and unprovoked brutal assault on Belly by Coachella security is disturbing on so many levels. We will hold all those involved accountable in court, and deliver justice for Belly, and make sure this lawsuit prevents other artists and fans from being victimized by this type of outrageous and violent behavior.”

The complaint places blame on Coachella for knew or should have known that their guards were unfit for the job: “Defendants Coachella Music Festival, Goldenvoice, and IPS knew, or in the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known, that their employees were incompetent and unfit to perform the duties for which they were employed and that undue risk to persons such as Plaintiff would result by way of their inappropriate conduct.”

Belly tweeted about the incident at the time, writing in one tweet, “20 of you p*ssies couldn’t take me off my feet.” He added in another, “no negative bullsh*t can steal my joy.. I performed the best show of my life, on 4/20 at Coachella !! I really came from nothing, and I’m still here.. it’s gotta mean something.”