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Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Fat Joe sued for $20,000,000 over claims of underage sex with minors
Reports from America say that Fat Joe has been sued for a whopping $20million (£14.8m) over claims of unpaid wages and underage sex with minors. The New York rapper, 54, whose real name is Joe Cartagena, rose to fame in the mid-to-late 90s as a solo performer and as a member of the Terror Squad. He landed his biggest UK chart hits in 2002 and 2005 when he teamed up with Ashanti for What's Luv? and with Jennifer Lopez for Hold You Down – both top 10 singles. Now, his former hypeman and stage partner of 16 years, Terrence Dixon – better known by his stage name T. A. – has filed a lawsuit against Cartagena in federal court. Dixon is alleging that Cartagena engaged in 'coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion' – claims that Cartagena denies. Further reports (via Variety) indicate that the lawsuit also accuses the Feelin So Good rapper 'deliberately suppressed, silenced and erased Dixon's substantial creative, artistic, and commercial contributions'. The complaint, which is 157 pages long, has been filed in the US District Court, Southern District of New York, and contains a trigger warning in its contents. Dixon accompanied Cartagena on stages across the world for 16 years, often working up and energising the crowd before and during sets. During this time, he alleges, the Lean Back rapper forced him 'into humiliating situations, including sex acts performed under duress and surveillance, accompanied by threats of abandonment.' Cartagena is represented in the case by celebrity attorney Joe Tacopina, who has represented, among others, US President Donald Trump and rapper ASAP Rocky. 'The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation,' a statement from Cartegana's representatives began. '[It's] 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.' The latest development follows Cartagena's filing of his own lawsuit against Dixon in April of this year, in which he claimed that his former hypeman had slandered him on social media. Claims are made in Dixon's suit that he was personally coerced 'into more than 4,000 sexual acts to maintain his standing' within Cartagena's musical enterprise. The most shocking claim made is that the hypeman 'personally witnessed [Cartagena] engage in sexual relations with children who were 15 and 16 years old.' Three Jane Does – a 16-year-old girl from New York, a 15-year-old girl from outside the USA, and another 15-year-old girl – are listed in the document. More Trending Dixon alleges that Cartagena 'contemplated leaving his wife' after 'falling in love' with the third girl, who it's claimed he met with just before she turned 16. The response from Cartagena's legal team continued: 'The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are complete fabrications – lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure.' Dixon is credited as a musician and lyricist on several of Fat Joe's songs that were released around the late 2000s and early 2010s, specifically on the album Jealous Ones Still Envy 2. The hypeman – also known as Population One in the music industry – is said to be represented for the lawsuit by Tyrone Blackburn, who is currently lead counsel in the high-profile Sean 'Diddy' Combs case. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Lizzo reveals the secret to her major weight loss MORE: Netflix star Sara Burack, 40, killed in hit-and-run as police hunt driver MORE: Madonna slammed for controversial behaviour during Broadway musical
Black America Web
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Fat Joe Sued For $20M By Ex-Hypeman, Claims Rapper Had Sex With Minors
Source: Al Bello / Getty Fat Joe is being sued for $20 million by his former hypeman, who has lobbed a litany of sordid claims against the Bronx rapper. The lawsuitalleges that Joe, born Joseph Antonio Cartagena, participated in sex acts with several minors in their teens, amongst other wild claims. As initially reported by Variety , Terrance 'T.A.' Dixon filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court Southern District of New York against the 'Lean Back: rapper on Thursday, June 19. Dixon was reportedly Joe's hypeman for over 15 years, giving him front row view of the illicit behavior he described in his 157-page lawsuit. It's worth noting that Dixon's lawyer is Tyrone Blackburn, the same man who is representing Lil Rodney in his lawsuit againt Sean 'Diddy' Combs, which also includes some explosive charges against the disgraced mogul. However, Blackburn has developed a rep for representing clients with over-the-top claims that aren't necessarily credible. But Dixon claims that over the years Fat Joe coerced him in over 4.000 sexuals acts to keep him in good 'standing within the Enterprise. According to Dixon he was pressured 'into humiliating situations, including sex acts performed under duress and surveillance, accompanied by threats of abandonment in foreign countries if [he] refused compliance.' The most egregious claim in the lawsuit is its detailing of Fat Joe allegedly participating sex acts with three Jane Does—one 15-year-old and two 16-year-olds. Also included in the RICO-claiming lawsuit are longtime Fat Joe associates. Pete 'Pistol Pete' Torres and Richard 'Rich Player' Jospitre, as well as Roc Nation. Dixon's lawsuit arrives after he and Blackburn were sued by Fat Joe back in April for slander after alleging on social media that the rapper flew a 16-year-old girl across state lines to engage in sexual intercourse. Joe maintains that Dixon and Blackburn are basically trying to extort him, allegedly. Fat Joe is being represented by Joe Tacopina, a criminal attorney who has become famed in Hip-Hop circles after representing A$AP Rocky, who acquitted of gun charges and who past clients include Meek Mill, and Donald Trump. In reponse to the lawsuit against Fat Joe, Tacopino told Variety , '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.' Needless to say, the social media peanut gallery has been going off since news of the lawsuit broke. This story is developing. Fat Joe Sued For $20M By Ex-Hypeman, Claims Rapper Had Sex With Minors was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fat Joe Files Extortion Lawsuit Against Former Hypeman After 'Pedophile' Claims
Fat Joe has filed a lawsuit against his former hypeman for extortion after the defendant publicly accused Joe of being a 'pedophile' and cheating on his wife with reality TV star Erica Mena. According to TMZ, Fat Joe claims that the plaintiff, Terrance 'T.A.' Dixon, filed a legal notice in March demanding compensation for his supposed ghostwriting contributions to several of his songs. The rapper then says that Dixon began to spread malicious rumors regarding his personal life online and elsewhere after Joe refused to acquiesce to his demands. The most serious of these public slights was the plaintiff calling the Bronx native a 'pedophile' and writing that Joe was 'looking for little girls' in a post on his social media account, deeming his former employer as 'Lil Joey Cap' and a 'sucker.' Joe issued a statement addressing the lawsuit, denying all allegations against him while promising to uncover Dixon and his legal team's unsavory actions, which he believes to be motivated by greed. 'These allegations are completely false and part of a criminal conspiracy orchestrated between a disgruntled former hype man and his attorney. These two individuals have been scheming together to extort me with their elaborate and ludicrous demands changing by the day.' The 'Lean Back' rapper continued, 'The relentless threats, harassment, and defamation I've endured as they peddle salacious lies are utterly deplorable. I'm taking legal action to expose their misconduct and I'm fully confident that the facts will reveal this is nothing more than a deceptive and desperate scam.' Fat Joe claims to have met Dixon in 2006, taking the plaintiff under his wing and enlisting him as a member of his inner-circle, a relationship that lasted until 2019, when Joe says the two amicably parted ways. However, Joe says it wasn't until several years after their split that Dixon began eyeing a payday and enlisted Tyrone Blackburn, who's also representing multiple accusers of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, including Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jenkins, to take legal action against him. Dixon also launched an all-out assault on Joe's reputation and character in a series of social media posts, which included accusations that Joe had an affair with reality TV star Erica Mena and admitted to ordering the slashing of former Terror Squad member Cuban Link's face during the early '00s. The plaintiff also charged Joe with falsely accusing Cuban Link of sleeping with Big Pun's widow, Lisa Rios, and sending him veiled threats in an attempt to instill fear in him. In a separate post, Dixon continued to verbally demean the Terror Squad founder, referencing his weight and accusing him of participating in salacious sexual acts. 'This is the dance the sucker do after getting his a** licked don't have to much fun on somebody else's yacht you fat soggy titty taco meat stumach you ain't no don n**ga foh you are the number 1 sucker,' Dixon wrote, sharing a doctored photo of Joe's head on another person's body. Fat Joe's attorney, Joe Tacopina, has blasted Dixon's filing against his client, deeming the pending legal battle as a half-baked attempt of scamming the rap star. 'The allegations against Mr. Cartagena are completely false and part of a criminal extortion scheme orchestrated by an attorney who a federal judge recently condemned for abusing the court system to harass and pressure defendants,' Tacopina told TMZ. 'Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated by fabricated claims, lies about witnesses, or shameless threats. We are taking immediate legal action to expose this fraudulent scheme and we will hold all parties responsible fully accountable.' More from 50 Cent Speaks To Joe Budden At Knicks Game, Cracks Joke About Their Feud 50 Cent Thinks Diddy Could Win Federal Sex Trafficking Trial If He Pulls Off This One Move Here's Exactly Why Celebrity Attorney Joe Tacopina Turned Down Representing Diddy
