NEED TO KNOW
- Busta Rhymes filed a countersuit in federal court against his former assistant Dashiel Gables, who claimed the rapper assaulted him
- “At a minimum, Gables acted negligently in ascertaining the truth,” the filing alleges
- Gables worked for the rapper from July 2024 until early 2025
Busta Rhymes is fighting back against allegations made by his former assistant.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the musician, whose real name is Trevor George Smith Jr., filed a counterclaim on Monday, Oct. 13 in federal court against his former personal assistant Dashiel Gables, alleging defamation.
The rapper alleged that he experienced “damage to reputation, goodwill, and standing in the music and advertising industries” from the initial suit.
Gables worked for Smith, 53, from July 2024 until early 2025, when, per Gables’ previous filing, the rapper fired him for filing a police report regarding an alleged assault.
In the musician’s filing, he denied these accusations stating, “Smith did not assault or batter Gables. Gables knew the statements were false, or acted with reckless disregard for the truth, including by fabricating allegations of criminal conduct and violence, omitting exculpatory facts and deliberately ignoring contrary evidence,” Smith’s filing alleges. “At a minimum, Gables acted negligently in ascertaining the truth.”
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Smith also claimed that Gables’ allegations led him to lose “advertising campaigns and other business opportunities.” The rapper seeks “special damages in an amount to be proven at trial.”
“Gables’ conduct was willful, wanton, and malicious, warranting an award of punitive damages,” the court documents read.
In the civil suit filed in August 2025, Gables alleged “wage and hour violations, assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress” against the rapper.
Gables alleged that the “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” artist spat in employees’ faces, grabbed their clothes and smacked them on the back of their heads.
He also claimed he experienced verbal abuse, with Smith allegedly “routinely degrading and screaming at [Gables], making unreasonable and demeaning demands.” per Gables’ allegations in the complaint.
The former assistant also claimed in the complaint that he was punched in the face twice because he was using his phone while on the clock in January 2025. Gables allegedly was trying to contact his daughter, and the rapper told him, “Stay the f— off your phone” before assaulting him.
After allegedly punching Gables in the face, Gables filed the police report and went to the hospital. Smith turned himself in and faced three assault charges. The Brooklyn DA’s office confirms the case was ultimately sealed.
The former assistant also alleged in the complaint that Smith fired him — “effectively blacklisted [Gables] from employment opportunities in his chosen field [in the music industry]” — because he filed a police report over the incident.
“I completely and categorically deny these allegations,” said the rapper in a statement obtained by PEOPLE at the time, calling the lawsuit “an attempted shakedown by a disgruntled former assistant.”
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