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Busta Rhymes is hitting back at allegations made by his former assistant.
The musician, whose real name is Trevor George Smith Jr., filed a countersuit in federal court against former personal assistant Dashiell Gables on Monday, October 13, for alleged defamation, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The rapper claimed in his first lawsuit that he had caused “damage to his reputation, goodwill, and standing in the music and advertising industries.”
Gables worked for Smith, 53, from July 2024 to early 2025, but the rapper fired him after he filed a police report for an alleged assault, according to Gables’ previous filing.
In the musician’s filing, he denies these accusations, claiming that “Smith did not assault or beat Gables. Gables either knew the statements were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth, including fabricating allegations of criminal conduct and violence, omitting exculpatory facts, and willfully ignoring evidence to the contrary.” “At the very least, Gables acted negligently in ascertaining the truth.”
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Smith also claimed that he lost “advertising campaigns and other business opportunities” as a result of Gables’ allegations. The rapper is seeking “special damages in an amount to be proven at trial.”
“Gables’ conduct was intentional, wanton, and malicious and deserves punitive damages,” court documents say.
In a civil lawsuit filed in August 2025, Gables alleges “wage and hour violations, assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress” against the rapper.
Gables claimed the “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” artist spat in the employee’s face, grabbed her by her clothing and slapped her in the back of the head.
The lawsuit also alleges that Smith “routinely degraded, yelled at, and made unreasonable and degrading demands of (Gables)” and experienced verbal abuse. According to Gables’ claims in the complaint.
The former assistant also alleges in the complaint that she was punched twice in the face in January 2025 for using her cell phone at work. Gables was trying to contact her daughter when she allegedly assaulted him, telling her to get off her cell phone.
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After allegedly punching Gables in the face, Gables filed a police report and went to the hospital. Smith turned himself in and was charged with three counts of assault. The Brooklyn Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the case was finally sealed.
The former assistant also claimed in the lawsuit that Smith fired her after she filed a police report about the incident, effectively blacklisting her from employment opportunities in her chosen field (the music industry).
“I completely and categorically deny these allegations,” the rapper said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE at the time, calling the lawsuit “a crackdown attempt by a disgruntled former assistant.”
