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Trending on Billboard Megan Thee Stallion is enjoying her WAG era. Klay Thompson and the Dallas Mavericks kicked off the NBA season on Wednesday night (Oct. 22) against the San Antonio Spurs and Megan was courtside to cheer on her boo. Explore See latest videos, charts and news The Houston Hottie also had a gift […]
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The legal battle between A$AP Relli and A$AP Rocky is continuing on despite Rocky’s acquittal on charges of shooting his former friend and associate this past February.
On Thursday (Oct. 23), a judge in Los Angeles refused to throw out the civil defamation lawsuit brought by Relli (Terrell Ephron) stemming from the alleged altercation with Rocky (Rakim Mayers) near a Hollywood hotel in 2021.
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Relli alleges that Rocky fired a handgun at him twice during their argument, while Rocky maintains that the “weapon” was a prop gun filled with blanks. Prosecutors charged Rocky with two felony assault counts in 2022, but he was acquitted of both criminal charges following a sensational trial this year.
Still, Relli is continuing to claim that Rocky shot him in a civil lawsuit that he brought around the same time as his former A$AP Mob collaborator’s arrest. That case, in which Relli seeks financial damages from Rocky for assault, battery and emotional distress, is scheduled to go to trial in January.
Relli separately brought a defamation lawsuit in 2023 against both Rocky and his criminal defense lawyer, Joe Tacopina. Relli says the duo smeared his name when Tacopina gave press interviews calling Relli’s shooting claims “extortion” and a “get-rich-quick-scheme.”
Rocky and Tacopina sought to get the defamation suit thrown out under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which guards against frivolous litigation that threatens free speech. But Judge Randolph M. Hammock ruled Thursday that Relli’s slander claims don’t meet this standard for dismissal.
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Judge Hammock said Rocky and Tacopina cannot rely on a principle known as the litigation privilege, which provides a complete free speech shield for statements made in court proceedings, because the lawyer’s media interviews were given “to shape the public opinion” rather than advance any legal position. The judge also determined that Relli’s defamation claim is not “meritless” under the anti-SLAPP guardrails.
“For purposes of this motion, plaintiff has established all elements of his defamation claims,” wrote the judge. “Plaintiff submits evidence that Tacopina published statements to media outlets, in essence contending that plaintiff fabricated the incident with Mayers then filed the lawsuit to force a payout.”
“Plaintiff refutes this in his declaration, as he attests that Mayers fired a handgun and struck him in the hand,” continues Judge Hammock’s decision. “He establishes that Tacopina’s statements were defamatory, as they labeled Ephron a liar and extortionist. Finally, Ephron established that these statements caused him damages. For purposes of this motion, plaintiff has met his burden.”
Relli has not actually won on any defamation claims yet, but the lawsuit moved past a major obstacle in Thursday’s ruling. Now, the matter will continue forward through evidence discovery and toward a possible trial.
Relli’s lawyers declined to comment on Thursday. Reps for Rocky and Tacopina did not immediately return requests for comment.
Trending on Billboard Iron Maiden have announced the dates for the North American leg of their Run For Your Lives World Tour, and they’re bringing Megadeth and Anthrax along for the ride. Explore See latest videos, charts and news Starting on Aug. 29, 2026, Iron Maiden will kick off their North American leg at Toronto’s […]
Trending on Billboard Finesse2Tymes has spoken out about his Monday (Oct. 20) arrest on drug charges, and said the situation has caused him to experience a lot of growth. The Memphis rapper was released from the Harrison County Jail in Texas on Tuesday (Oct. 21), according to local Fox affiliate Fox13, and hopped on Instagram […]
Trending on Billboard The World Series heads north of the border for the first time in 32 years, and the MLB has tapped Pharrell Williams alongside the Voices of Fire choir and the Jonas Brothers to perform at the first two games of the Fall Classic. Before the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers […]
Trending on Billboard 50 Cent is looking to go from “In Da Club” to the wedding reception. The G-Unit sat down with ExtraTV on Wednesday (Oct. 22), during which 50 relayed he’d gladly accept an invite to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding. “I would make my way over there,” 50 said when asked if […]
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Kim Kardashian and Ye (formerly Kanye West) finalized their divorce in 2022, but sharing four children means they will be involved in one another’s lives for the foreseeable future.
The Skims mogul opened up about the fallout from her relationship with West during the season seven premiere of Hulu‘s The Kardashians on Thursday (Oct. 23), which she says “tested” her in ways she didn’t see coming as she wanted to “protect” her kids as best she could.
“I was pretty tested, I will say. Very tested,” she said. “I mean, I have psoriasis again. I felt it. I mean, I felt more stressed, probably just because I had to super protect what I had to protect. My kids are involved now.”
Kardashian added that she’s most worried about how the kids will handle their father’s public outbursts. “My poor kids,” she continued. “Everyone around can handle it, but … protect my babies. They’re gonna know things. They’re gonna grow up. They’re gonna see. So my job as a mom is to just make sure that at a time when that behavior is happening, is just to make sure that they are protected.”
She explained how it isn’t as easy as “walking away” from the relationship with Ye since they have children together. “I’m happy it’s over,” the reality star said. “My ex will be in my life no matter what. We have four kids together.”
Kardashian also pushed back against West’s narrative that she’s attempting to keep the children from seeing him.
“As much as people think that I have the luxury of walking away and not dealing ever again, that’s not my reality. This person — we have four kids together,” she said on the reality show. “It’s very confusing because it’ll be all this talk on the internet of like, ‘I’m keeping the kids.’ He’s never once called and asked [to see them].”
She added: “But then I’ll wake up, and it’s on Twitter that I’m keeping the kids. So it’s just … When it’s not true and not rational, I just have to like … I can’t engage all the time. It’s a divorce, not a kidnapping. We haven’t left! We’re in the same spot. We have the same address, so he knows where his kids are.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Kardashian opened up about health issues she’s suffered as a result of the stresses in her life. Her psoriasis flared up for the first time since getting divorced, and she was also diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.
When it comes to Ye’s troubling issues, Kardashian always felt it was a reflection of her, but recently, that hasn’t been the case.
“It was the first time I think one of my kids knew what was happening,” she said on The Kardashians. “I’ve been able to hide it for so long. I always felt like I had a little bit of like Stockholm syndrome, to where I always felt really bad and always protected and always wanted to help … And this was the first time I didn’t feel that responsibility personally.”
West and Kardashian share four children: North, 12; Saint, 9; Chicago, 7; and Psalm, 6. Kardashian filed for divorce in early 2021, and the case was settled in November 2022.
Watch the season seven trailer of The Kardashians below.
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Rayna Bass and Selim Bouab have been appointed executives-in-residence at the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The pair are the co-presidents of 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records Hip-Hop, R&B and Global Music.
Bass and Bouab’s appointment is in keeping with the center’s goal to connect Howard University’s students with top executives in the global music industry. The program provides one-on-one mentorship, master classes and practical insights about executive leadership, creativity and the future of the business.
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In the press release announcing the duo’s new roles, Jasmine Young, MBA, director of the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University, commented, “Rayna Bass and Selim Bouab are two of the most visionary leaders in the industry, and we are honored to welcome them as executives-in-residence. Our students will benefit directly from their knowledge, creativity and commitment to breaking barriers. This appointment reflects our mission to provide Howard students with direct access to the highest levels of leadership in the global music industry.”
“Howard University, together with the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business, has a strong legacy of cultivating bold, creative leaders,” said Bass and Bouab in a joint statement. “That mission aligns with what we do at our label, and we’re excited to share our experiences and help raise up the next generation of music business innovators.”
Bass took on an expanded role within the Atlantic Music Group earlier this year when she was appointed co-president of Atlantic Records Hip-Hop, R&B and Global Music. She initially joined 300 Entertainment as its first marketing hire in 2014. Promoted to senior vp of marketing in 2019, Bass was elevated to co-president of 300 Entertainment in 2022. A Billboard Women in Music and R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players honoree, Bass has helmed campaigns for Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, Gunna, Mary J. Blige and PinkPantheress, among other artists.
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Since joining 300 Entertainment as well in 2014, Bouab later served as the label’s senior vp and head of A&R before being named co-president with Bass in 2022. Then again alongside Bass, Bouab added the co-president post at Atlantic Records Hip-Hop, R&B and Global Music this year. Along the way, he has signed, developed and collaborated with artists including Megan Thee Stallion, Fetty Wap and Tee Grizzley as well as Young Thug, Gunna and Jordan Adetunji. Bouab, who’s also established his own Unauthorized Entertainment label, is a multiple-year Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players honoree.
“Rayna and Selim embody what it means to lead with both innovation and integrity,” stated Julian Petty, executive vp and head of business/legal affairs for Warner Records and the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center’s Visionary. “Their careers represent the possibilities for our students, and their willingness to pour into the next generation is what makes this partnership so special. The center continues to set the standard for excellence in music business education, and I am thrilled to see Rayna and Selim take on this role.”
Trending on Billboard Joe Budden added another chapter to his feud with Drake earlier this month, when he called the 6 God a “bi—” after a federal judge tossed his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group. Explore See latest videos, charts and news “The Drake news broke about the lawsuit,” Budden said during a recent […]
Trending on Billboard U.S. Marshalls arrested a suspect in the shooting of Sauce Walka and the murder of rapper Sayso P. As reported by local Memphis outlet Action News 5, Marshalls arrested 23-year-old Kevin “KJ” Brown in Clarksville, Tennessee, on Wednesday (Oct. 22). He was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of employing a firearm […]
