American rapper and singer Lil Durk is facing a $350k lawsuit over a concert he failed to perform at because of his 2019 arrest in connection with a shooting in Georgia.
Georgia authorities say they have video evidence of Lil Durk carrying out a non-fatal shooting in Atlanta, WSB-TV reports.
The incident occurred in the morning of Feb. 5 outside famed restaurant The Varsity, where 23-year-old Alexander Weatherspoon was shot in the thigh.
Durk—real name Durk Derrick Banks—turned himself in several weeks ago in connection with the shooting; however, the 26-year-old rapper denied any involvement.
"I have nothing to hide," he told the media. "I have nothing to run from."
Durk and King Von are now facing a slew of charges, including criminal intent to commit murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to Complex.
Authorities have not explained the relationship between Durk and Weatherspoon; however, witnesses told police they saw the victim in a verbal dispute with a man shortly before the gun was fired. Investigators also say Durk robbed Weatherspoon of a gold chain and $30,000 during the incident.
The recently filed lawsuit states that the Chicago rapper was scheduled to perform at the Nassau Stadium in The Bahamas, but was unable to perform due to the pending felony charges against him. Promoters for the show allege that they sent Durk $24k in up-front payments, and spent thousands to promote and organize the show, per TMZ.
Durk was refused entry into The Bahamas due to the charges, which have since been dropped, and was unable to show up to the show. Fresh Entertainment, the promoters behind the planned event, have said that he allegedly kept the cash they paid him up-front, and has failed to agree to a rescheduled performance.
They also claimed that he would only perform if they gave him an additional $200k, which would be on top of the originally agreed-upon fee. Prior to scheduling the show, Fresh Entertainment reportedly asked Durk’s team if he had any outstanding legal issues that could be an issue. They are seeking $350k for breach of contract.
“The frivolous lawsuit filed by Plaintiff and its attorneys is being publicized in an attempt to usurp the news of Mr. Bank’s exoneration from the 2019 charges to extort a payday,” said Durk’s attorney Ariel Mitchell. “The lawsuit has no merit as it was the Plaintiff’s own failure to secure a visa which caused denial of entry by immigration. Further, we are confident this lawsuit will be immediately dismissed for several procedural errors. Mr. Banks looks forward to traveling the globe on tour in the near future.”
Earlier this month, it was reported that the charges against him in connection with the non-fatal 2019 shooting had been dropped.
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