Rapper Busta Rhymes, whose legal name is Trevor George Smith Jr., is embroiled in a contentious legal battle, accused of using a defamation countersuit to silence his former assistant. The assistant, Dashiel Gables, filed a civil complaint in August 2025 accusing Rhymes of assault, battery, wage and hour violations and emotional distress.
On Oct. 13, Rhymes filed a federal counterclaim in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, accusing Gables of making false statements and seeking damages for harm to his reputation and business interests.
Gables responded with a motion arguing that the rapper’s countersuit amounts to a retaliatory Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, or SLAPP, aimed at punishing him for speaking out.
Claims and Counterclaims
Gables worked for Rhymes from July 2024 to January 2025, according to court filings. He alleges that on Jan. 10 2025 the rapper punched him in the face after berating him for using his phone at work, and later terminated him for filing a police report.
In his counterclaim, Rhymes denies all wrongdoing and claims Gables “knew the statements were false, or acted with reckless disregard for the truth, including by fabricating allegations of criminal conduct and violence.”
Rhymes’ filing goes on to assert that Gables omitted exculpatory facts and ignored evidence to the contrary, and that the alleged defamation caused him to lose advertising campaigns and other business opportunities.
Gables’ legal team maintains that his statements are protected by the First Amendment and that truth is an absolute defense to defamation under state and federal law.
They argue that the countersuit is not a genuine claim of defamation but rather an effort to bankrupt and silence a former employee who dared to allege workplace wrongdoing. “The statements in Plaintiff’s Complaint are protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,” the filing reads.
The court has not yet ruled on the motion to dismiss the countersuit, and both sides are preparing for a potentially prolonged legal fight.
Rhymes is seeking both special and punitive damages, citing Gables’ conduct as “willful, wanton and malicious.”
Gables, meanwhile, is pushing for a dismissal of the counterclaim, an award of attorney fees and sanctions against Rhymes for what he calls a “frivolous and retaliatory counterclaim.”