Back in December of 2022, Charlamagne Tha God was hit with a lawsuit from a woman named Jessica Reid, who accused him of sexual assault in 2001. At the time, he was indicted for criminal sexual conduct with a minor as well as contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and accepted a plea deal in 2002. Reid sued the Breakfast Club host and publisher Simon & Schuster over his book Black Privilege. It features his account of the incident and came out in 2017.
Now, Judge Ona T. Wang has sided with Charlamagne and his co-defendant. She granted Simon & Schuster's motion to dismiss Reid's defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims. “McKelvey’s recounting of the assault and its aftermath is entirely compatible with plaintiff’s account of the assault except for plaintiff’s allegation that she was able to see McKelvey’s face prior to his sexually assaulting her,” she ruled. “In any event, McKelvey’s account, although self-serving in its version of events, does not ‘expose’ [Reid] ‘to hatred, shame, obloquy, contumely, odium, contempt, ridicule, aversion, ostracism, degradation or disgrace.’”
Judge Sides With Charlamagne Tha God And Simon & Schuster
Judge Wang also cited Reid's reliance on the New York’s Child Victims Act as an issue. "The CVA does not apply to plaintiff’s defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress claims against [Simon & Schuster] because defamation and IIED arising out of the publication of a book do not constitute a sexual offense under New York criminal law,” she explained. "Second, even if the CVA did revive time-barred defamation and IIED claims that arise out of an alleged sexual assault, plaintiff’s claims were not timely."
What do you think of a judge dismissing defamation and emotional distress claims brought against Charlamagne Tha God? Are you surprised or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.