Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder Damon Dash accused of sexual battery by photographer, faces $50 million lawsuit
The co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, Damon Dash, is facing a $50 million lawsuit from photographer, Monique Bunn, who alleges the music mogul sexually assaulted her at his home after she conducted a photoshoot for his fashion company, Poppington, earlier this year. Bunn filed the case in court on Thursday, December 26, 2019.
Bunn says she had been hired by Dash to do a shoot for his clothing label, Poppington, on April 18, 2019. Once the first day's shooting was completed, the photographer traveled to the residence that Dash shared with his fiancée, Raquel Horn. Bunn had been informed that she could spend the night in Dash's daughter's room.
According to court records, Dash came into her room while she was sleeping that night and started to grope her. "Dash approached Bunn and placed his hand on Bunn's breasts and placed hands/fingers on Bunn’s buttocks," the legal documents read. "Dash did not have the permission or consent to touch Bunn's sexual organs." The filing also stated that "Dash was wearing a robe and had no underwear on. Dash had been drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana all day."
Bunn said that she managed to get Dash to stop by yelling that she would fight him off. She says the 48-year-old Dash then left the room shortly afterwards, and that she spent the entire night unable to go back to sleep. Bunn also claims Dash tried to buy her silence later by claiming that he could make her a subject of a We TV docu-series. The lawsuit also lists his partner Raquel Horn, Damon Dash Studios and Poppington LLC as co-defendants, accusing them of theft by conversion and negligent emotional distress.
The complaint is just one of several legal issues Dash has been the subject of this year - he was also embroiled in a similar case in 2004, when former model Kirstie Thompson claimed Dash sexually assaulted her after a party in Brazil, but the case was later dismissed after Thompson failed to show up to a compliance conference. And Dash already owes nearly half a million dollars in unpaid child support to his ex-wife Rachel Roy and ex-girlfriend Cindy Morales. He told the court officials in November that he has a "virtually nonexistent" income, and was only surviving on a recent two-million-dollar court settlement. He also admitted he's strapped for cash as he's expecting another child with his fiancée Horn. The only way things could get worse for him right now is if he attempts to make a dash for freedom.