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Fox News
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Rapper Fat Joe slams child sex abuse claims as $20M extortion scheme
Rapper Fat Joe is facing a $20 million lawsuit for allegedly engaging in sexual abuse against minors, among other accusations. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday by his former hype man, T.A. Dixon, in the Southern District of New York. The suit accuses Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, of a "sustained campaign of exploitation." The rapper "systematically engaged in coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion," Dixon claimed in the 157-page lawsuit, obtained by Fox News Digital. The lawsuit added that it was "all intended to enrich" Fat Joe and his associates "while deliberately suppressing, silencing, and erasing [Dixon's] substantial creative, artistic, and commercial contributions, which were foundational to Defendant Cartagena's professional success and personal brand." Fat Joe's lawyer told Fox News Digital, "The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation — a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations." It added, "Law enforcement is aware of the extortionate demand at the heart of this scheme. The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are complete fabrications — lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure. Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated. We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable." Blackburn, Dixon's attorney, told Fox News Digital, "Fat Joe is Sean Combs minus the Tusi [a drug also known as "pink cocaine"]. It is clear he has learned nothing from his 2013 federal conviction," referring to the rapper's previous conviction on tax evasion charges. Fat Joe's alleged exploitation extended "beyond financial fraud," Dixon's lawsuit claimed, adding he was allegedly forced into "humiliating situations, including sex acts performed under duress and surveillance, accompanied by threats" that he would be left in foreign countries if he did not comply. The lawsuit also claims that two of Fat Joe's associates, Peter "Pistol Pete" Torres and Richard "Rich Player" Jospitre, who were also included as defendants in the lawsuit, "actively engaged in physical threats, violent assaults, and intimidation tactics on Cartagena's explicit instructions, sustaining a climate of fear and coercion against Plaintiff and others who challenged the Enterprise's control." He claimed he was "coerced into more than 4,000 sexual acts to maintain his standing within the Enterprise." Dixon also alleged that during his time with the rapper, he "personally witnessed" him "engage in sexual relations with children who were fifteen and sixteen years old." "In exchange for cash, clothing, and payment of her cell phone bill, Defendant would get oral sex and other sexual acts performed on him by Minor Doe 1," the lawsuit claimed. Dixon said Minor Doe 1 was 16 years old. He claimed that Fat Joe began having sex with a second minor when she was 15 years old after a concert overseas and paid for her to get a Brazilian butt lift. Fat Joe also allegedly had sex with a third minor girl who met the rapper before she turned 16. He was "in love" with the third minor and "even contemplated leaving his wife" for her, the lawsuit claimed. "In a recorded conversation, Minor Doe 3 and her 15-year-old cousin describe in detail to Plaintiff how 'inappropriate' it was for Defendant, who was in his late 30s at the time, to be fawning over children," the document alleged. Dixon also worked as a "lyricist, background vocalist, security team member, and creative collaborator" during his time with the rapper, the lawsuit said, claiming he was "systematically excluded" from getting "fair compensation, proper attribution, and the substantial royalties and profits generated from his creative labor. Instead, Plaintiff was consistently underpaid, denied songwriting credits, and deliberately concealed from royalties and backend compensation." Fat Joe sued Dixon earlier this year for allegedly defaming him on social media after Dixon claimed the rapper flew a 16-year-old across state lines for sex, according to Variety.
Global News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Global News
Rapper Fat Joe accused of sex with minors in $20M lawsuit by ex-employee
NOTE: The following article contains disturbing details. Please read at your own discretion. Rapper Fat Joe's former hypeman, Terrance 'T.A.' Dixon, has filed a lawsuit against him in federal court, alleging that his former boss engaged in sex acts with minors in a $20-million lawsuit. Dixon also alleges his former boss, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, engaged in 'coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation and psychological coercion.' The 157-page complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, details claims about Cartagena's alleged sexual relations, including with minors. Dixon states that Cartagena allegedly forced him 'into humiliating situations, including sex acts performed under duress and surveillance, accompanied by threats of abandonment in foreign countries if [he] refused compliance,' according to the documents, obtained by Variety Story continues below advertisement Dixon alleges that 'he was coerced into more than 4,000 sexual acts to maintain his standing within the Enterprise.' The suit also claims that Dixon 'personally witnessed [Fat Joe] engaged in sexual relations with children who were fifteen and sixteen years old,' listing three as Jane Does, including a 16-year-old Dominican girl in New York who, 'in exchange for cash, clothing, and payment of her cell phone bill … would [perform] oral sex and other sexual acts' on Cartagena. Another Doe, referred to as 'Minor Doe 2,' is a white female and not a U.S. citizen, according to the documents. '[Fat Joe] began having sexual relations with Minor Doe 2 when she was 15 years old after a concert overseas. Defendant flew Minor Doe 2 to New York City and Miami, Florida, on multiple occasions. Due to Minor Doe 2's body being adolescent and not fully formed, Defendant paid for her to get a Brazilian Butt Lift. Minor Doe 2 eventually left Defendant and is now married to a professional athlete,' the complaint reads. Story continues below advertisement Minor Doe 3 is a Latina female who 'met the defendant when she was 15 years old, turning 16.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy According to Dixon, 'Defendant was in love with Minor Doe 3. He even contemplated leaving his wife. The Defendant paid all Minor Doe 3's bills and even took her overseas to his tour stops. He brought her to Florida and would put her up in a condo he rented a few blocks from his house with his wife.' 'In a recorded conversation, Minor Doe 3 and her 15-year-old cousin describe in detail to Plaintiff how 'inappropriate' it was for Defendant, who was in his late 30s at the time, to be fawning over children,' according to the lawsuit. 'Fat Joe is Sean Combs minus the Tusi,' Tyrone Blackburn, Dixon's lawyer, wrote in a statement to USA Today, referencing the ongoing criminal trial for Sean 'Diddy' Combs and the alleged drugs the music mogul is accused of using. 'We have additional pages of predicated acts which we are itching to disclose if the defendants call our bluff.' Cartagena's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, responded to the lawsuit, saying, 'The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation — a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations.' Story continues below advertisement 'Law enforcement is aware of the extortionate demand at the heart of this scheme. The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are complete fabrications — lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure. Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated. We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable,' the statement added. The suit also names some of Cartagena's 'key associates' in his alleged 'criminal enterprise,' including Pete 'Pistol Pete' Torres and Richard 'Rich Player' Jospitre. It additionally names Jay-Z's Roc Nation, which represents Cartagena, and claims the company knowingly participated in 'concealing, transferring, and manipulating' Dixon's authorship rights and royalty interests and sought to intimidate, harass and obstruct Dixon's claims against Cartagena, Torres and Jospitre. Dixon also accuses Cartagena, Torres and Jospitre of engaging 'in deliberate tax fraud schemes' to allegedly conceal wage theft. He also claims he was 'consistently underpaid, denied songwriting credits, and deliberately concealed from royalties and backend compensation.' The lawsuit comes after Cartagena sued Dixon in April for slander on social media by accusing him of being a pedophile online. Cartagena claimed Dixon's allegations were a 'money grab,' and noted that he generously paid Dixon, who he says 'enjoyed the perquisites of touring, luxurious travel, and other fringe benefits of a world-renowned musician's team.' Story continues below advertisement 'This is the right way to fight, Joe — through the system. You can't fight him no other way,' Dixon told Variety. 'Joe think he's a god. Joe thinks he's untouchable.'
The Irish Sun
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Rapper Fat Joe hits back at bombshell $20m lawsuit comparing him to Diddy & accusing him of having sex with minors
FAT Joe has hit back at bombshell claims he had sex with underage girls in a $20 million lawsuit comparing him to Sean Combs. The rapper's former hypeman Terrance 'T.A.' Dixon made shocking allegations in the suit filed in New York on Thursday claiming Fat Joe had sexual relationships with at least three underage girls. 3 Fat Joe has hit back at claims he engaged in sexual relations with at least three underage girls Credit: Getty 3 The rapper has denied all allegations against him with his lawyer saying it is all 'fabrication' in an attempt to intimidate him Credit: Getty Joe, whose real name is Joe Cartagena, has hit back at the claims detailed in the 157-page court filing calling them "lies" and a "blatant act of retaliation". The lawsuit suing the rapper for damages of up to $20 million comes just two months after Joe sued Dixon for defamation. Dixon's court filing accused the 54-year-old of "engaging in sexual relations with children who were 15 and 16 years old" in exchange for cash and materialistic goods like clothes and phone bill payments. One of the girls from Dominican was 16 when she performed oral sex and other sexual acts on Joe in exchange for cash, clothes, and phone bill payments, documents seen by Joe is also accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl he met at a concert abroad. He allegedly flew the girl out to New York and Miami on several occasions and paid for her to have a Brazilian Butt Lift, Dixon claims. The lawsuit further accused the rapper of falling in love with a 15-year-old Latina [referred to as Minor Doe 3] who he flew out for tours, set up in a Florida condo near his family home, and considered leaving his wife for. "The Defendant paid all Minor Doe 3's bills and even took her overseas to his tour stops," the lawsuit alleges. Most read in Celebrity "He brought her to Florida and would put her up in a condo he rented a few blocks from his house with his wife. "In a recorded conversation, Minor Doe 3 and her 15-year-old cousin describe in detail to Plaintiff how 'inappropriate' it was for Defendant, who was in his late 30s at the time, to be fawning over children." Kanye shows up to Diddy's sex trafficking trial in blacked out Maybach after being spotted in NYC with wife Bianca Dixon also claimed Joe subjected him to "coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion." The former hype man alleged that Joe made him perform coercive sexual acts over 4,000 times "under duress and surveillance", threatening to abandon him abroad if he did not. He allegedly had to perform such "humiliating" acts "to maintain his standing within the Enterprise." The lawsuit claims Dixon faced "a wide spectrum of sexual coercion, psychological control, forced exhibitionism, and surveillance-based humiliation, including being compelled to perform sex acts under observation, being filmed, or directed by [Fat Joe] in the presence of others — tactics designed to control Plaintiff's body, erode his autonomy, and ensure silence." Dixon's lawyer Tyrone Blackburn said Joe is "Sean Combs minus the Tusi." Diddy is currently on trial for sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution - all of which he has pleaded not guilty to. "These sex-based abuses were not private, incidental, or isolated," Blackburn, who represented Lil Rod in his lawsuit against Diddy, said of Dixon's lawsuit. "They were integral to the enterprise's culture of dominance and humiliation, enforced by Defendant's associates," he added, naming others listed in the lawsuit against Fat Joe. 'LIES AND THREATS' The rapper's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, who defended A$AP Rocky in his "The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation," he said, adding that it is all "lies" to destroy Joe's reputation and "force a settlement through public pressure". "Mr Cartagena will not be intimidated," he said. "We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable." Joe's defamation lawsuit against Dixon accuses him and his lawyer Blackburn of attempted extortion and harassment. Tacopina called the $20 million lawsuit "a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations." Read more on the Irish Sun However, Dixon has said he will not go down without a fight, "This is the right way to fight Joe - through the system" he told "Joe thinks he's a god. Joe thinks he's untouchable." 3 Fat Joe filed a defamation lawsuit against Dixon and his lawyer back in April Credit: Getty
New Statesman
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Thought experiment 12: The Teletransporter
Illustration by Marie Montocchio / Ikon Images Star Trek fans can't agree. How does the Enterprise's transporter work? When Captain Kirk beams down to planet Omega IV, have the molecules in his body been disassembled and reassembled? Or has the machine scanned him and made a physical copy? The version of this thought experiment imagined by Derek Parfit (see Thought Experiment 11: The Harmless Torturer) has no such ambiguity. It is roughly as follows. I enter a machine that scans my brain and body, then sends instructions at the speed of light to another machine on Mars. This second machine then creates an exact replica. All my memories are the same. 'Even the cut on my upper lip, from this morning's shave, is still there.' Meanwhile, my body back on Earth is destroyed. I have made this trip, back and forth to Mars, many times. But I'm told that a technological advance allows a blueprint to be made without the source body being destroyed. The machine attendant tells me that I will be able to talk to myself on Mars. Wow! Parfit goes on: 'Wait a minute,' I reply, 'If I'm here I can't also be on Mars.' Someone politely coughs, a white-coated man who asks to speak to me in private. We go to his office, where he tells me to sit down… Then he says: 'I'm afraid we're having problems with the New Scanner. It records your blueprint just as accurately, as you will see when you talk to yourself on Mars. But it seems to be damaging the cardiac systems which it scans. Judging from the results so far, though you will be quite healthy on Mars, here on Earth you must expect cardiac failure within the next few days.' What should be my reaction? Personal identity, the question of what it is that makes me today the same person I was when I was ten and (here's hoping) when I'm 90, has preoccupied philosophers for millennia. In Greek mythology, the Ship of Theseus decayed, and in time one plank was replaced by another, until there was no single plank left from the original. Was it still the same ship? In the 17th century John Locke imagined that the souls of a prince and cobbler were exchanged along with their memories. Identity, according to Locke, tracked memory. The prince was now in the cobbler's body. Parfit made a number of claims about what kinds of beings we are. Unlike Locke, he didn't believe in souls; he thought our existence just involves our brains and our bodies. He also saw identity as not always being fixed or unitary. If my brain was divided into its two hemispheres and each half transplanted into a different body, it would be arbitrary to say that one of these two was really me. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe In any case, what mattered was not identity, but psychological connectedness – a similarity between two distinct mental states. So rather than ask whether a younger or older person is identical to me, we're better off asking how closely they're psychologically connected to me – whether there are overlapping memories, thoughts, desires, character traits and so on. This is usually a matter of degree. It is not all or nothing. My replica on Mars, after teletransportation, starts off psychologically identical to me, with the same thoughts, desires and memories. According to Parfit, I should treat news of my impending death on Earth with relative indifference. The fact that my replica is made of different physical stuff is an almost trivial detail. If Parfit is right that there is no deep fact (like a soul) that makes me 'me', there are some radical implications. The distance – psychological and ethical – that I once believed separated me from other people, narrows. Conversely, the distance between me and my past and future selves widens. A 20-year-old might be better off blowing any spare cash on treats today, rather than putting it towards a pension plan for their only loosely connected 65-year-old self. And we might now hold a 65-year-old less responsible for a crime committed when they were 20 and which they can only dimly recall. The Parfitian view of personal identity has a bearing on numerous other issues. Think of living wills – the instructions people set out for their future care in the event that they become incapacitated. Is it right that we can legally fix healthcare decisions on a future self, for a time when this future self is unable to make a decision? Although some people find Parfit's conclusions about personal identity depressing, he himself found them uplifting. In a famous passage he wrote: When I believed that my existence was a further fact, I seemed imprisoned in myself. My life seemed like a glass tunnel, through which I was moving faster every year, and at the end of which there was darkness. When I changed my view, the walls of my glass tunnel disappeared. I now live in the open air. There is still a difference between my life and the lives of other people. But the difference is less. Other people are closer. I am less concerned about the rest of my own life, and more concerned about the lives of others. Next time: The Comet That Destroys Earth After Our Death [See also: Ideas for Keir] Related This article appears in the 18 Jun 2025 issue of the New Statesman, Warlord
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Our rental car burst into FLAMES while we were sat in traffic – we escaped by the skin of our teeth
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A COUPLE whose hire car unexpectedly caught fire within minutes while on holiday now want answers from the rental company - who they claim appeared "completely unbothered" by the frightening ordeal. Jenna Willcox, 41, and her partner, Matt Jackson, 39, were driving near Killorglin, a small town in County Kerry, Ireland, when their rented Peugeot 3008 began to emit white smoke and a terrible smell. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 A couple's hire car burst into flames while they were on holiday in Ireland Credit: Matt Jackson 4 A rented Peugeot 3008 started smoking and then suddenly ignited, sparking a nightmare for the holidaymakers Credit: Matt Jackson 4 It left the car reduced to a burnt-out shell Credit: Matt Jackson 4 Burnt-out wreck of hire car leaves couple demanding answers from rental company Credit: Matt Jackson Sensing a major issue, they quickly got out of the car and pulled most of their belongings out with them, including their suitcases. Moments later, the car was completely engulfed in flames, leaving them stunned. 'It literally happened within minutes, we were sitting in traffic outside this little town and smoke started coming out of the bonnet,' said Jenna, speaking exclusively to Sun Motors. 'It was pouring out, it was the worst thing I've ever smelt. I don't know what was on fire, but it smelled like hell.' The couple ran up the road to a nearby petrol station, watching in shock as the car they'd been sitting in was reduced to a burnt-out husk. 'I keep thinking, if the lock hadn't worked or if we hadn't been able to get away in time. 'Luckily, people around us were able to drive away - but what if we'd been inside a tunnel or stuck in traffic?' After the ordeal, the couple managed to get a bus back to their accommodation, expecting Enterprise, the company they'd hired the car from, to provide assistance - perhaps with an offer of compensation or a replacement car. But Jenna says their response was slow and disorganised, with the company completely unprepared to manage the situation. She claims they were passed around and transferred to a vehicle recovery company, despite there being "nothing to recover." Cars & 30-tonne HGV collide in high-speed pile-up – but is all as it seems 'We literally spent the whole of the next day on the phone to Enterprise to get them to send us another vehicle - we thought the least they could do was send us another vehicle.' After speaking to Jenna, Sun Motors reached out to Enterprise. A spokesperson for the company said: 'At Enterprise we aim to always deliver high-quality customer service. 'If incidents occur, we maintain consistent communication with the customer during and post-incident to provide ongoing support and keep them informed of progress. 'We believe that our actions in this case followed all necessary steps to resolve the situation.' However, Jenna and Matt vehemently disagree with Enterprise's assessment. They claim that instead of offering immediate assistance, Enterprise told them they needed to return to the nearest outlet - some 100 miles away - despite the fact they no longer had a means of transport. How to deal with a vehicle fire If your car catches fire or emits smoke while driving, stop safely, evacuate all passengers and call emergency services. Leave the vehicle quickly, as electrical systems might fail. Use an extinguisher on small external fires only if safe, but don't put yourself at risk. Avoid opening the bonnet as it could worsen the fire, move away from traffic lanes, stand behind barriers if possible and keep a safe distance due to risks like toxic fumes, tyre explosions, or flying parts. Inform emergency services about the vehicle type and any flammable cargo, especially if it's an electric vehicle, as these require special handling. Most of all, prioritise your safety over saving the car. It was only after failing to find a taxi and making several further phone calls, they claim, that an employee eventually drove a replacement car to them. Enterprise disputes this claim, saying that it promptly offered transport to the customers. "It seemed like they had absolutely no contingency plan in place,' added Jenna. 'Even if the car had broken down, you would think they'd have some sort of plan to bring us one. 'The whole thing with Enterprise, the whole way through, they were really bad at communication. 'They didn't apologise or ask us how we were - they didn't seem to care about any of that.' Jenna and Matt continued to chase a response from Enterprise after the incident happened in September. 'Eventually, they got to the stage where they're like, 'Okay, we need to do an investigation into what happened.' 'But it was all from that perspective; what they were interested in was, was it our fault?' Jenna says they never explained or shared any details about the evidence they had - pointing out it was impossible to figure out what caused the fire since the car was completely destroyed. 'At this point, we were terrified, like, what if they think it's our fault? They could prosecute us or take us to court. There was no explanation or communication on what the consequences might be.' Eventually, Enterprise concluded their investigation, finding that Jenna and Matt were not at fault. However, much to the couple's frustration, that was the end of the matter. When they contacted the Ombudsman group European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS), they said they were told by Enterprise that there was a complex investigation ongoing involving many departments. When the couple asked Enterprise about this directly, they claimed the company did not respond - which meant ECRCS said they were unable to act. Eight months later, Zurich, Enterprise's insurance company, finally offered them £600 in compensation, later increasing it to £900. However, this failed to account for the ruined holiday, emotional distress and time spent resolving the issue. 'Sometimes when I drive home from work, it does go through my mind. 'You'll sometimes get a weird smell, and you don't know if it's your car or someone else's car, and it does go through my mind - what if it happens again? 'Before this fire, I would have just been like, 'Don't be ridiculous, a car can't just catch on fire.' But now I know that it does happen for no reason. That does go through my mind, which is pretty horrible.'
