Rapper Xzibit is facing a new lawsuit from his ex-wife, this time targeting the cannabis brand associated with his name and business empire.
Krista Joyner, who was married to the “Pimp My Ride” star for many years, is suing him in federal court and claims he excluded her from a valuable cannabis company he built while they were together.
The stakes are high, with hundreds of millions of dollars reportedly involved.
Krista said Xzibit used a series of corporate and trademark filings to lock in control of cannabis brands without giving her her fair share.
The battle centers on the Brass Knuckles brand, a line of cannabis products publicly associated with Xzibit launched in 2016. Joiner said the brand was created while they were married and qualifies as community property under California law.
According to the complaint, she was the driving force behind the brand’s rise. Joyner claims she is responsible for branding, packaging, product development, marketing, recruiting, sales systems and day-to-day operations.
Sales reportedly reached tens of millions of dollars, and internal valuations climbed to more than $100 million within a few years.
Joyner filed for divorce in Los Angeles County in February 2021, which she claims triggered an automatic court order prohibiting the spouses from transferring marital property without consent or court approval.
Joyner said Xzibit ignored the order and claimed that in December 2022, the rap star assigned three federally registered brass knuckles to a company called Hero Brands, but that she never approved the transfer.
Xzibit may have to support his ex-wife forever
Months later, the same trademarks were sold again through another asset deal, even though they had been transferred, the lawsuit alleges. Joiner claims that the transactions were structured to appear legitimate while retaining ownership within a small inner circle associated with Xzibit.
Hero Brands is controlled by business partners who already have an interest in the brand, Joiner’s said. She said those involved knew the trademarks were marital property and knew the divorce restrictions were in effect.
Despite this, Hero Brands continued to sell the products and presented itself as the rightful owner, the lawsuit said.
Joiner said Xzibit is trying to eliminate her role in the founding of the company and deprive her of a share of the brand’s massive revenue, which has reportedly soared to more than $1 million a month.
She asked a judge to undo the trademark transfer, restore ownership, correct trademark records and prevent Hero Brands from using the name.
