An Ohio rapper who used body camera footage from a police raid on his home to make a music video has filed a lawsuit against one of the former deputies involved in that operation.
Joseph Foreman, who goes by the rap moniker “Afroman” and is best known for the popular song “Because I Got High,” filed a lawsuit July 27 against Brian Newland, one of the Adams County Sheriff’s deputies who was involved in a 2022 raid on his home.
Afroman, a Grammy-nominated rapper, was drawn further into the spotlight after he used the footage from that raid to make songs mocking the deputies, including “Will You Help Me Repair My Door?” and “Lemon Pound Cake.”
Four deputies, two sergeants, and a detective filed a defamation lawsuit against Afroman, alleging that he used their likeness without their permission and profited off their images. Afroman prevailed in that lawsuit after a three-day trial.
Now, Afroman is suing Newland and accusing the former sheriff’s deputy of previously suing him for “improper purposes” to harass and maliciously injure Afroman, according to the complaint. The complaint alleges that Newland lacked probable cause to file a lawsuit against Afroman, and Newland’s decision to sue Afroman caused Afroman to “suffer damages, including attorney’s fees, costs, lost wages, emotional distress, and reputational harm.”
In addition to accusations of malicious prosecution, Afroman also alleged in his complaint that Newland abused the legal process by pursuing a frivolous lawsuit against Afroman, causing severe emotional distress to Afroman. In addition, Afroman’s complaint states that the lawsuit Newland filed against Afroman interfered with Afroman’s business relationship and contracts with music venues.
Afroman is seeking compensatory damages, including attorney’s fees, lost wages, economic losses, and reputational damages.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Rapper Afroman files lawsuit against Adams County deputy involved in 2022 raid
Reporting by Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
