Busta Rhymes slams former assistant over lawsuit

Busta Rhymes has accused his former assistant of trying to "damage [his] reputation".

The 53-year-old rapper is being sued by Dashiel Gables for wage and hour violations, assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, but he has insisted the allegations made by his ex-employee - who he noted worked with him for "a very brief period" - are "categorically" untrue and he is planning to launch a counter-suit.

He told People magazine in a statement: “I completely and categorically deny these allegations.

“Apparently, Dashiel has decided to respond to being let go by manufacturing claims against me in an attempt to attack and damage my reputation.

"I look forward to proving these allegations false."

Busta - whose real name is Trevor Smith Jr. - believes his next steps "will expose this for what it is - an attempted shake-down by a disgruntled former assistant."

He added: Ultimately, I am certain the truth will prevail.”

Dashiel, who also goes by the name Divine, filed his civil complaint on 4 August and he is seeking a trial by jury on all triable issues.

He claimed he and Busta had got into an argument in January this year because when he was trying to contact his daughter, the rapper screamed at him to "stay the f*** off your phone" before allegedly punching him in the face twice.

Dashiel went to the hospital with a swollen eye and filed a police report, and Busta turned himself in to authorities, where he faced three assault charges, before allegedly firing his assistant which “effectively blacklisted [him] from employment opportunities in his chosen field [in the music industry].”

The ex-employee claimed he was regularly verbally abused, with the Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check hitmaker allegedly "routinely degrading and screaming" at him with "unreasonable and demeaning demands". He also accused his former boss of calling him a homophobic slur, ridiculing his poor hearing and threatening to "bloody [his] face” and “get ‘street justice.’ ” T

Dashiel accused Busta of having spat in employees’ faces, smacked them on the back of the head and grabbed their clothes.

When it comes to his pay, Dashiel alleged his then-boss failed “to provide proper wage notices and wage statements,” including a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act, New York Labor Law Wage Notice and Wage Statement Violations, and failure to pay spread of hours pay (New York Labor Law).

He is seeking compensatory damages for past lost wages and benefits, for unpaid minimum wages and overtime, for future wages lost due to being blacklisted by the industry, and other wage and hour violations, as well as liquidated damages as provided by FLSA and New York Labor Law.