ORLANDO (CelebrityAccess) — Rapper XXXTentacion announced that he’s suing a woman who accused him of striking her.
According to the Miami New Times, the lawsuit stems from a video that originally surfaced on TMZ on March 26 in which the rapper, whose real name is Jahseh Onfroy, appears to strike a woman on the head. In the Snapchat video, the two appear to be posing together, though based on Onfroy’s hairstyle and tattoos, the video was not recent.
While Onfroy’s legal team initially shrugged off the video, telling Pitchfork that it was a “harmless gesture” and that the two appear to be “acting in jest” the woman in the video later subsequently took exception to this formulation and denied releasing the video herself.
“For those who are questioning why i didn’t come forward earlier,” she wrote on an Instagram story under the name @lilbcupp per the New Times, “i was terrified for my life..imagine someone doing that to u unprovoked.? At 16? Let alone the people he associates himself w/? truth of the matter is I would still be holding on to this secret if it wasn’t leaked [sic].”
Her response drew a sharp reaction from Onfroy, who filed a lawsuit against her, alleging fraud and defamation. According to the New Times, Onfroy alleges the woman’s grandparents attempted to extort money from him by offering her silence in exchange for $300,000.
Onfroy’s lawsuit is the latest legal twist for the rapper, who is currently facing criminal charges that include aggravated assault against a pregnant woman and witness tampering.
His legal turmoil comes even as he achieves his greatest career success, with his latest album “?” currently in the top ten of the Billboard 200.
