Busta Rhymes says allegations of underpayment, assault are shakedown by ‘disgruntled’ ex-assistant

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In response to allegations made against him in a recently filed lawsuit by a previous assistant, Busta Rhymes has labeled the situation as an “attempted extortion.

On Monday, Dashiel Gables initiated a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Rhymes (whose real name is Trevor Smith Jr.). The complaint alleges that Rhymes has breached wage and hour regulations, as well as physically harmed and caused emotional distress to Gables through assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Dashiel Gables filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against Rhymes (Trevor Smith Jr.) this past Monday. The lawsuit claims that Rhymes has violated wage and hour laws, committed assault and battery, and intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon Gables.

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Busta Rhymes confided in Men’s Health that he experienced severe breathing difficulties during an intimate moment with his former partner. Since then, he has managed to shed approximately 100 pounds from his weight.

As a movie critic, I want to clarify that I’ve become privy to the assertions put forth by Daniel Gables. To set the record straight, I vehemently refute these allegations, point blank. For a fleeting moment, Mr. Gables aided me, but our collaboration proved unsuccessful. It seems that, after being dismissed, Mr. Gables has opted to concoct accusations against me, an attempt to besmirch my reputation through false claims and malicious insinuations.

Fifty-three, asserted he’s drafting a response lawsuit, expressing his confidence that it will unveil the situation as nothing more than a desperate extortion attempt by a dissatisfied ex-assistant.

In the court case examined by The Times, Gables claims that Rhymes consistently used a derogatory term concerning his sexuality and made fun of his hearing issues by suggesting he should use a hearing aid. Furthermore, he alleges that he was incorrectly classified as a salary-based employee, yet despite regularly working extended hours (up to 15-, 16-, and 18-hour shifts for $200 per day), he wasn’t compensated for overtime.

The lawsuit claims that he was obligated to carry out “routine chores,” such as procuring cigars for the rapper.

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Almost a week following the lawsuit filed by his ex-hype man, Fat Joe strongly denounces what he perceives as ‘offensive falsehoods’.

Last year, Gables, aged 44, traveled with Rhymes on tour from the beginning of July to the beginning of September, every single day, not receiving payment for travel time or overtime. Additionally, starting from September 3, 2024, until January 10, he worked for Rhymes without compensation, beyond his daily rate, from 2:00 PM to 8:30 AM each day.

On that final day, the lawsuit claims, Rhymes “effectively ended” Gables’ employment “by repeatedly striking him in the face” following an initial outburst at his assistant for not quickly delivering a “catering-sized” pan of chicken from the rapper’s vehicle, and subsequently scolding Gables for sending a text to his underage daughter during work hours.

According to the complaint, while working with Busta Rhymes, Gables endured a considerable amount of mistreatment. However, he couldn’t stand the recurring physical attacks and was unable to resume his job due to this. The complaint further states that Gables sought medical attention for his injuries, which included bruises and swelling, and also filed a police report concerning the alleged assault. Unfortunately, he did not go back to work after this incident.

Following the submission of the police report, it’s claimed that Gables was effectively barred from participating in the hip-hop music industry. The lawsuit states he is pursuing unpaid wages, along with compensatory and punitive damages. He has also requested a trial by jury.

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2025-08-09 02:01