Former hype man claims Fat Joe engaged in sexual misconduct with minors
NEW YORK CITY (PIX 11) -- Bronx-born rapper Fat Joe is facing explosive allegations in a $20 million lawsuit filed by his former hype man, Terrance Dixon.
The 157-page complaint -- which includes a trigger warning on the first page due to graphic details -- accuses the artist of sexual manipulation, racketeering, and years of abuse behind his music empire. Dixon alleges Fat Joe, whose real name is Joseph Antonio Cartagena, engaged in sex with 15-year-old and 16-year-old girls, and even plotted to have rapper 50 Cent killed.
He also claims he was coerced into participating in more than 4,000 sexual acts, over a 16-year period, with women Fat Joe brought back to hotel rooms — some of those acts were allegedly watched and filmed.
Legal expert David Schwartz said the lawsuit could have serious legal implications beyond the civil courtroom.
"The allegations have to be analyzed but it's looking very similar to the Sean Combs case in that it could spur on a criminal investigation into the coercion into these acts," he said. "Especially one of the allegations, some of the sexual acts, they were engaged with 15-year-olds, so now you have statutory rape being alleged within the context of a civil complaint."
Dixon claims he never willingly consented to the acts but complied only out of fear, alleging that Fat Joe repeatedly threatened his career, finances, abandonment in foreign countries, and physical harm if he refused. Schwartz said the case will depend on whether there's solid evidence to back up Dixon's claims.
"It can't just be Dixon making these allegations, but if there were third parties involved, which purportedly there were, those witnesses need to be deposed and spoken to," Schwartz said. "You may have documentary evidence, you may have video evidence."
The lawsuit further claims that Dixon played a creative role in the development of several commercially successful songs, contributing lyrics, melodies, and vocals, but was allegedly denied fair compensation and excluded from receiving royalties. The lawsuit also names Roc Nation as a defendant — the company that manages Fat Joe’s business affairs — claiming it either knew, or should have known, that Dixon was being left out of royalty deals. PIX 11 News reached out to Roc Nation for comment on the lawsuit and have not yet heard back.
Joseph Tacopina, who represents Fat Joe, claims the suit is retaliation after they sued first for slandering the rapper on social media. Tacopina released a statement saying, "The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation — a desperate attempt to deflect attention from the civil suit we filed first, which exposed their coordinated scheme to extort Mr. Cartagena through lies, threats, and manufactured allegations."
Tacopina adds that the allegations are complete fabrications intended to damage Fat Joe's reputation and force a settlement through public pressure.
Back in April, Fat Joe filed a lawsuit against Dixon, accusing him of defamation after allegedly stating that the rapper is a pedophile on social media. According to court records, Dixon's attorney is preparing a motion to dismiss the case with a filing deadline set for June 23rd.