Tyronesha Laws, the woman who claims DaBaby slapped her in a Tampa nightclub recently, has sued the North Carolina rapper for battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to Pitchfork. Laws’ suit alleges “injuries about her face and head,” “extreme mental and emotional distress,” and “social media threats” as results of the incident and seeks $30,000 in damages.
A statement issued by Laws’ attorneys Matt Morgan and Chelsea Cromer reads:
Morgan & Morgan has filed a formal lawsuit against DaBaby relating to the incident in Tampa. The incident was outrageous and shocking. We have requested a jury trial and look forward to presenting all of the surrounding circumstances to a jury of our client’s peers. Our goal is to deter similar conduct in the future and send a message that this type of behavior is not tolerated in America.
DaBaby, who was booed out of the club on the night of the incident and initially challenged the veracity of the complaint against him, subsequently apologized on social media. Video of the incident shows the rapper being jostled by security and accidentally bumped in the face with a phone by a photo-seeking fan, then lashing out in response. DaBaby explained in his apology that due to the phone’s flashlight, he couldn’t see who he hit, but his lawyers refute Laws’ claim, saying that several people have come forward claiming to be the victim and that they cannot verify which person DaBaby actually hit.
DaBaby is far from the only rapper to get into an incident over phone pics and personal space. Offset avoided charges after smashing a fan’s phone last year, just two months after Earl Sweatshirt landed in hot water for a similar incident.
