DJ Akademiks, host of Off The Record podcast, accused of rape and defamation

DJ Akademiks, a media personality and host of the podcast “Off The Record,” has been sued for allegedly raping a woman.

In a civil lawsuit filed Monday in New Jersey Supreme Court and seen by USA TODAY on Tuesday, Fauziya “Ziya” Abashe alleged that Akademics, whose real name is Livingston Allen, “brutally” raped her in July 2022. She also claimed that two unnamed “accomplices” drugged and raped her earlier that same day in Allen’s home.

Abashe, described as a writer living in Pennsylvania, sued Allen and two suitors for sexual assault, negligent infliction of emotional distress and defamation and requested a jury trial.

Tyrone Blackburn, Abashe’s attorney, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY on Tuesday: “Litigation is always a last resort. After several unsuccessful attempts to resolve this matter privately, Ms. Abashe was left with no choice but to file suit. Mr. Allen’s hubris will be his downfall.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Allen for comment.

DJ Akademiks’ response to the lawsuit

Allen, who also co-hosts Complex’s series “Everyday Struggle,” has several million followers on social media sites such as YouTube, X and Twitch, recently attracted attention with its coverage of the rap dispute between Kendrick Lamar and Drake.

In a Rumble livestream on Tuesday, Allen appeared to address the lawsuit, saying, “I’m going to go against the advice of my very expensive attorney today, but I’m still not going to say much.”

He added: “My only comment should really be: whatever this is, it will be dealt with in court. You must know that according to the law, according to the police and according to all sanctioning government agencies, Akademiks is an innocent man who has never been charged with anything to do with any deviance or anything like that, has never been charged and will never be charged. That is a fact.”

He called the lawsuit “extortion” and added: “This is a money tree situation.”

What is DJ Akademiks accused of?

In her lawsuit, Abashe said she began “casually dating” Allen after they met through social media in 2021. The July 2022 incident occurred about a year after they last met, she said.

After arriving at Allen’s New Jersey home on July 16, 2022, she claimed that John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 prepared her a drug-laced drink and pumped her full of alcohol while she was in a hot tub before sexually assaulting her on Allen’s pool deck while she was unconscious. She also claimed that Allen raped her afterward.

According to her lawsuit, Abashe went to police to report the assaults and had a sexual assault forensic exam conducted. The lawsuit also states that Abashe believes police used evidence she provided to obtain a search warrant from a judge and obtain footage and evidence of the assault.

“The sexual assault by Mr. Allen and his two accomplices seriously injured Ms. Abashe, causing her significant physical and psychological pain and suffering, a loss of dignity, and an invasion of her privacy,” the lawsuit states. “Mr. Allen’s public statements have compounded the harm Ms. Abashe was already silently suffering.”

Abashe said she remained “silent” until Allen posted on his social media accounts in December “accusing Ms. Abashe of voluntarily hosting an orgy with his friends at his home while claiming he did not participate in it at all.”

In his Rumble livestream, Allen seemingly confirmed that a police investigation had been launched and claimed he had been “cleared” of any wrongdoing.

“I told the truth: Hey, the police came, they looked, we gave them everything, pretty much everything is documented, caught on videotape. They saw it with their own eyes,” he said.

“Not only did you say, ‘Ak, you’re good’ – and this is not just word of mouth – you are officially acquitted. We could not file a criminal complaint against you. You are not criminally liable. Moreover, everyone else in the situation was also acquitted.”

If you are a victim of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE & online.rainn.org).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DJ Akademiks accused of rape: Podcast host calls lawsuit ‘extortion’