Soulja Boy Arrested in Los Angeles

Soulja Boy was recently arrested at a traffic stop. The “Donk” rapper was taken into custody after police say they discovered a firearm, and booked on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm, per TMZ. 

Why the traffic stop occurred has yet to be revealed. The night of the arrest, he posted photos and videos to social media of him celebrating his 35th birthday at a nightclub in Los Angeles.

The rapper, name DeAndre Cortez Way, was stopped by police at around 2:35 a.m. local time on the intersection of Melrose and Genesee avenues, police said, per NBC News. 

Per PEOPLE, Soulja’s arrest comes nearly four months after he was ordered to pay a former assistant nearly $4 million in connection with an assault lawsuit. A former assistant alleged he sexually assaulted her and held her captive.

Soulja denied the allegations, telling Rolling Stone that he “never done any of the things they’re accusing me of.” An attorney for the musician told PEOPLE that “the evidence does not support the verdict.”

“It is unfortunate that aspersions and misperceptions of a culture were allowed to influence the trial,” the statement from Soulja’s legal representation read at the time of judgment, which was trial by jury. “Mr. Way fully intends to pursue his post-trial remedies and to fight for a just result in this case.”

In a separate statement, the Jane Doe’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, said his client was “vindicated” and that they were “looking forward to moving on to the punitive damages phase of the case.”

Since bursting onto the scene in the mid 2000s, Soulja has had a number of public issues. His volatile relationship with Nia Riley was documented on Love & Hip Hop LA and Marriage Bootcamp before they split. He’s since focused on behind-the-scenes projects.