Akademiks Sued For Rape & Defamation: What We Know

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LONG BEACH, CA - NOVEMBER 03: DJ Akademiks attends 2018 ComplexCon-Day 1 at Long Beach Convention Center on November 3, 2018 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)
Akademiks has since denied any wrongdoing, claiming the lawsuit is a "shakedown."
Content Warning: This article contains details of sexual assault and rape that some might find disturbing. 

DJ Akademiks, real name Livingston Allen, faces a brand new lawsuit stemming from an alleged sexual assault that occurred in his home. According to Rolling Stone, Fauziya “Ziya” Abashe sued the media personality on allegations of rape, sexual assault, and defamation. Since then, Ak has denied any wrongdoing with hopes that this will get resolved in court. This is what we know so far. 

Allegations Of Rape & Assault

Abashe said she met Allen online in 2021 and entered into a relationship with him. However, on July 16, 2022, when Abashe visited Allen's house in New Jersey, she alleged encountering a nightmare. Instead of a private rendezvous, she claimed she found herself in the company of two unknown men, who allegedly drugged and assaulted her. Abashe claims to have been raped on Allen's pool deck while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and later, in a bedroom by Allen himself. The lawsuit details horrifying accounts of sexual assault, including physical and emotional trauma suffered by Abashe.

Abashe Submits Alleged Evidence

Following the alleged assault, Abashe said she took significant steps to seek justice. She underwent a rape kit examination, which reportedly revealed traces of Allen's sperm. Photographs of bruises sustained during the incident were taken, further corroborating her claims. Additionally, Abashe engaged in a recorded conversation with Allen, during which he allegedly admitted to having sexual intercourse with her. Subsequently, law enforcement obtained a warrant for surveillance footage and other evidence, including allegations that Allen attempted to destroy potentially incriminating materials.

On the criminal side, he ultimately never faced any charges, even though Abashe did take her allegations to police. While she "chose silence," she said that she decided to sue Akademiks after the allegations resurfaced at the end of 2023. Around that time, both parties addressed the claims on social media.

Defamation Claims & Social Media Response

In response to the allegations, Allen denied any involvement in the assault, claiming he was asleep at the time. However, in a video addressing the incident, he made statements that Abashe's lawsuit argues as defamatory, stating during a Dec. 30th, 2023 stream, "She was getting trained by my two mens on my pool deck." Allen's remarks, suggesting Abashe willingly participated in an orgy, are contested by the lawsuit, which claims he "defamed" her by "accusing her of voluntarily having an orgy with his friends at his home while maintaining that he never participated at all.” Abashe's decision to file the lawsuit followed unsuccessful attempts to privately resolve the matter, according to her lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn.

Has Akademiks Responded?

Although his main Instagram account was removed online just a day before the lawsuit arrived, he responded to the lawsuit during a recent livestream. “My only comment should really be: whatever this is should be handled in court. Just know that, according to the law and according to the police and according to all sanctioning, governing authorities, Akademiks is an innocent man who has not ever been charged with anything of the sort that has to do with any deviancy or anything like that. Has never been charged, will never be charged,” he said.

However, he claimed that this civil lawsuit against him is a “shakedown.” He added that he’s not under any sort of criminal investigation, though mentioned that the current attorney for Abashe is actually representing Lil Rod in his lawsuit against Diddy. Ak said Tyrone Blackburn, the attorney for Abashe, is attempting to gain some sort of monetary gain out of him. 

"I’m not even hiding and ducking from a situation, or ducking from the narrative that happened,” he said. “I pretty much told everything. And also I told the truth. The police came, they looked, we gave them everything. Pretty much everything is documented, caught on videotape. They got to see it with their own two eyes. Not only did they say, ‘Ak, you good’ — and this is not just word of mouth. This is, ‘You’re officially clear. We could not bring any criminal Charges. You are not criminally liable.’ But also, anybody else in the situation, was also clear."

Who Is Ziya Abashe?

Fauziya “Ziya” Abashe is the plaintiff in the lawsuit against DJ Akademiks. In response to the suit, she told Rolling Stone, "I'm confident that justice will prevail and the veil will be removed so no other woman will have to endure what I did."

Abashe boasts over 11,000 followers on Instagram. Her YouTube page, where she vlogs and shares product reviews, also has over 13,000 subscribers. “African girl with insatiable curiosity.  Interested in spirituality, astrology, beauty/health and DIY's,” her bio reads. Outside of that, there’s little information available about her. However, she seems to be quite active on social media. 

About The Author
Axl Banks is a passionate pop culture and music writer with a deep love for hip-hop and internet culture. With a keen eye for trends and a knack for storytelling, Axl offers fresh insights and engaging narratives surrounding music and online phenomena.