Charlamagne Tha God Sued Over Alleged 2001 Sexual Assault Years After Prosecutors Refused To Reopen Criminal Case, Radio Host's Lawyer Calls Suit 'Meritless'
Dec. 20 2022, Updated 8:49 p.m. ET
The woman who accused Charlamagne Tha God of sexually assaulting her in 2001 has now filed a federal lawsuit against the entertainer — and we're told he plans to fight the case, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the alleged victim Jessica Reid has brought claims against Charlamagne (real name: Lenard Larry McKelvey) in New York Court.
The suit accuses Charlamagne of sexual assault, battery and defamation. Back in 2018, The Blast broke the story, that in 2001 the radio host was arrested on a warrant stemming “from a charge of criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the 2nd degree, for an incident that allegedly occurred the month before.”
Court documents obtained by the outlet accused a then 22-year-old Charlamagne of “willfully, unlawfully, and feloniously engage in penile/vaginal intercourse with a fifteen-year-old female child.”
According to court documents, Reid’s mom called the police to report an alleged rape. Officers responded to the Short Stay Naval Recreational Center in Charleston, South Carolina on June 9 where they found Reid intoxicated. She was “crying uncontrollably” after being allegedly assaulted.
Reid did not cooperate with the investigation. The radio host’s DNA was NOT found after a rape kit was done.
Charlamagne ended up pleading to a lesser charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was sentenced to 3 years of probation.
Charlamagne denied he assaulted Reid from day one.
In the new lawsuit, Reid said she met Charlamagne through a friend in 2001. She said the two became friendly over the next couple of weeks.
She said he invited her to attend his birthday party on June 8, 2001 at the Short Stay Naval Recreation Center. Once she arrived at the party, she claimed to have felt “uncomfortable” due to the amount of men.
Reid said she drank a drink provided by Charlamagne. She said eventually she felt dizzy and later collapsed “as it felt like her legs gave out and she could not walk.”
Reid said she heard men laughing at her and then heard Charlamagne laugh while telling others,” Take her a—upstairs.”
She said two men took her upstairs where they assaulted her in the bathroom. Eventually, she claimed Charlamagne walked in and carried her to a bedroom. Reid said Charlamagne proceeded to take advantage of her.
“Charlamagne was having sex with Ms. Reid and she could not do anything about it,” the suit claimed. Eventually, she was able to find a phone to call her mom who then called police.
The alleged victim said she was taken to the Summerville Medical Center. “Ms. Reid recalls the ambulance ride vividly, as she was still in shock, hyperventilating, and felt safe,” the suit read.
Reid said she gave her statement to the police days later, but her mom told her not to press charges.
Years later, Reid said Charlamagne has talked about the incident but spread “false, insulting” claims about her.
“Ms. Red has tried to get justice, but to no avail. And to make matters worse, everyone that Ms. Reid reached out to, including iHeartRadio, ignored her and still allowed Charlamagne to speak on their platform,” her lawsuit said. “Every time Ms. Reid turns on the radio and hears his voice, sees him on TV, and walks past his books in the stores, she is reminded of what Charlamagne did to her.”
Further, she claimed Charlamagne has called her a “groupie” in an interview where he allegedly “lied about what happened.”
She pointed to a separate 2013 interview where Charlamagne spoke to DJ Akademiks about the situation but “misstated” the circumstances.
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Reid said she was 15 at the time and is now 37 “trying to get her life back.”
She said she cannot press charges due to the statute of limitations having passed. She claimed the entire ordeal has caused her to be prescribed antidepressants and undergo counseling.
Reid said she experiences extreme post-traumatic stress disorder and “still has dreams and flashbacks of the incident to this day.”
To make matters worse, she said Charlamagne’s alleged false statements about her has triggered the same pain and hurt all over again.
Reid’s lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the alleged sexual assault and defamation.
Charlamagne’s attorney Michael Weinsten tells, RadarOnline.com, "We are confident that Ms. Reid’s meritless civil lawsuit in which she represents herself will be promptly dismissed. This is the same sexual assault claim that was fully investigated and dismissed by authorities in South Carolina more than 21 years ago. At that time, my client voluntarily submitted his DNA, and it was confirmed his DNA was not found in her rape kit. It is also the same matter that Ms. Reid tried to re-open in 2018 that the South Carolina Solicitor General declined to re-open, suggesting among other things it was “not ethical” to do so.”
