Busta Rhymes has countersued his former assistant who accused the rapper of punching him while at work.
Rhymes, born Trevor Smith Jr., was arrested in Brooklyn back in January on third-degree assault charges after allegedly striking then-assistant Dashiel Gables in the face. Gables then filed a federal lawsuit this summer accusing Rhymes of physical assault and other workplace abuses.
According to Billboard, Smith’s attorney Patrick Butler denied that the artist battered Gables in the counterclaim docketed on Monday (Oct. 13) in federal court. The lawyer claimed the former assistant “knew the statements were false, or acted with reckless disregard for the truth, including by fabricating allegations of criminal conduct and violence, omitting exculpatory facts and deliberately ignoring contrary evidence.”
The countersuit also alleges that Gables shared his previous lawsuit with the media and that Smith’s reputation has been damaged by the defamatory claims, resulting in the rapper being dropped from two advertising campaigns.
Mark A. Panzavecchia, a lawyer representing Gables, responded to the filing in statement to Rolling Stone. “There is absolutely no basis for the counterclaims and we stand by our client and his lawsuit,” said Panzavecchia. “The evidence will corroborate our account of the events.”
Gables’ lawsuit from earlier this year claimed that Smith “routinely degraded, screamed at, and made unreasonable demands of Plaintiff and other employees,” and allegedly...
Busta Rhymes has countersued his former assistant who accused the rapper of punching him while at work. Rhymes, born Trevor Smith Jr., was arrested in Brooklyn back in January on third-degree assa...