On Sunday, the Wilshire Division of the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Soulja Boy, legally known as Deandre Cortez Way, was apprehended on suspicion of illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The arrest unfolded during a traffic stop conducted by Wilshire Officers in the vicinity of Genesee and Melrose at approximately 2:30 a.m.
As the officers conducted their investigation, Soulja Boy was identified as a passenger in the vehicle. He was promptly detained and subsequently arrested for possession of a firearm. At this time, the precise reasons behind the traffic stop and the identities of any other occupants in the car remain undisclosed.
This recent arrest comes on the heels of a April ruling that found Soulja Boy liable for sexually assaulting, physically abusing, and emotionally distressing a former assistant. The verdict was delivered following a three-week trial held in Santa Monica, where he was held accountable for assault, sexual battery, and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Notably, the Los Angeles jury acquitted him of false imprisonment and other allegations. As a result of the ruling, Soulja Boy was ordered to pay $4 million in compensatory damages and an additional $250,000 in punitive damages to the victim.
In a statement reported by The Associated Press, the plaintiff's attorney, Neama Rahmani, asserted, "Today's verdict marks the dawn of justice for Soulja Boy's victims and countless others in the music industry."
The woman at the center of the 2021 lawsuit claimed she began working for Soulja Boy in 2018, under an agreement to be paid $500 weekly for tasks such as house cleaning, cooking, and personal errands. However, she alleged she was never compensated for her work. Their professional relationship soon blossomed into a romantic one, but she claimed it quickly turned abusive, with Soulja Boy allegedly raping her, physically assaulting her, and threatening her with violence and death.
Widely recognized for his 2007 hit single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song, Soulja Boy's music career has been marked by both commercial success and recent legal turmoil.
