Photo Credit: Afroman (Instagram)
A jury has sided with Afroman in a lawsuit initiated by deputies who took issue with the artist mocking them in music videos. The rapper quickly fought back on First Amendment and freedom of speech grounds.
On Wednesday, an Ohio jury sided with rapper Afroman in a lawsuit filed against him by sheriff’s deputies who took issue with the artist mocking them in music videos after they raided his home searching for drugs. Jurors took less than a day to deliberate, finding the “Because I Got High” musician not liable on any of the 13 claims made against him.
“It’s been an emotional case. It’s been a well-tried case,” said the judge before reading the jury’s verdict in favor of the artist, whose legal name is Joseph Foreman. “In all circumstances, the jury finds in favor of the defendant,” announced Judge Jonathan Hein.
The rapper testified on Tuesday that he had exercised free speech when releasing music videos featuring surveillance images of Ohio deputies raiding his home. He asserted that any suffering they claimed to have endured in their lawsuit was the result of “their mistake.”
“I got freedom of speech,” said Afroman. “After they run around my house with guns, kicked down my door, I got the right to kick a can in my backyard, use my freedom of speech, turn my bad times into a good time.”
He added that he felt he was “a sport for doing so, because I don’t go to their house, kick down their doors, flip them off on their surveillance cameras, then try to play the victim and sue them.”
The deputies filed the lawsuit against Afroman in 2023, accusing him of defamation and invasion of privacy. They claimed they suffered needlessly through the release of music videos, such as “Lemon Pound Cake,” which included security footage taken in 2022 when they searched the artist’s home looking for drugs and evidence of a kidnapping. None were found, and charges were never filed against him.
Meanwhile, the “Lemon Pound Cake” video has been viewed over 3.1 million times on YouTube.
