XXXTentacion has reportedly dropped his defamation lawsuit against the woman who accused him of physical assault last month.
According to TMZ, the controversial rapper made the decision after the alleged victim changed her story about the nature of the reported incident, which was captured in a newly surfaced video. The clip shows XXXTentacion dancing behind the then-16-year-old girl before he abruptly hits her on the side of the head.
Shortly after the video received media attention, the girl in the disturbing footage came forward, explaining why she hesitated to report the alleged assault.
“For those who are questioning why I didn't come forth earlier was because I was terrified for my life,” she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post. “Imagine someone doing that to u unprovoked? At 16? Let alone the people he associates himself w/? Truth of the matter is I would still be holding on to this secret if it wasn’t leaked.”
XXXTentacion’s team insisted the incident in the video was not as serious as the woman made it seem. The rapper eventually sued the woman for defamation, claiming she and her family were attempting to extort him.
Now, about a month after the video surfaced, sources said the woman has retracted her assault claims in a notarized letter obtained by TMZ.
The document—submitted to XXXTentacion’s legal team last week—supports the rapper’s claims that the two were simply horsing around and that XXXTentacion’s punch didn’t cause any harm.
“The day the video was posted, I was contacted by one of [XXXTentacion’s] managers and I told him the truth: that I did not release the video and don't know how someone got it and posted it online,” the letter read. “I also told him I was surprised that people were making such a big deal about it. The video was taken years ago when [XXXTentacion] and I were both kids and were just joking around. I was not injured as a result of what happened nor did it negatively affect my personal life. I told his manager I was willing to give a statement saying exactly that.”
She concluded the statement with: “I will not be pursuing any claims against him and I hope that people see the video in the playful context in which it was recorded and nothing more.”
Sources tell TMZ investigators are reviewing the video as part of his ongoing criminal case for alleged aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and witness tampering. Insiders told the publication it’s unlikely that the video will impact the case, as law enforcement can’t authenticate the time and place of the filmed incident.
