Blueface faces new legal action in Los Angeles after a woman won a $125,000 settlement over defamation charges and her lawyer asked a judge to realign his music royalties to pay off the debt.
Jackilyn Martinez sued the California rapper (real name Johnathan Jamall Porter) in December 2023 and filed a motion on Thursday (October 16) asking Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Peter Hernandez to divide royalties from BMI and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. The two organizations collect performance royalties on behalf of artists such as Blueface.
Martinez’s legal action comes as Porter serves four years at North Kern State Prison for a probation violation related to the 2021 assault. She claims the 28-year-old “Thotiana” rapper defamed her online, suggesting that Soulja Boy’s child might actually be his son.
“As a result of Porter’s inappropriate conduct and defamatory statements, I have suffered and will continue to suffer severe emotional and mental distress, including depression, anxiety, panic attacks (and) crying,” Martinez wrote in court documents.
View this post on Instagram
After Porter failed to respond to the lawsuit, Judge Hernandez entered a default judgment in April totaling $123,245, including $100,000 for pain and suffering. With interest, that amount grew to $129,150, according to a statement from her attorney, Michael Berke.
Martinez initially sought $10 million in damages, but a judge declined to award punitive damages in the defamation case.
The request to forfeit royalties is the latest financial blow to Porter, who also was ordered by a Nevada judge to pay $13 million to Las Vegas’ Euphoria gentlemen’s club. This judgment stems from a shooting incident outside the venue in October 2022, which resulted in the venue’s permanent closure. The award includes $12.6 million in lost business income, $198,000 in property damage and $84,000 in payroll costs. An additional $1 million in interest was later added to the total.
Martinez, the mother of the child at the center of the online paternity test, said in court documents that she has had no relationship with Porter since 2018. The defamatory posts were allegedly made on Porter’s social media accounts.
Porter’s legal troubles began to escalate in 2021 when he was convicted of assault for attacking a security guard at a North Hollywood venue. He was sentenced to probation but was jailed in January 2024 for failing to comply with the terms of his probation. His four-year prison sentence was handed down in August.
Martinez’s attorneys argued that distributing the rapper’s royalties was necessary because he made no effort to pay the court-ordered amount. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for December 9.
Porter’s music catalog, which includes collaborations and viral hits, remains a potential revenue stream that could be used to pay off his growing legal debts.
His representatives have not yet responded to inquiries about the pending motion.
