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A jury delivered a decisive conclusion on Wednesday, ruling that Afroman did not defame Ohio law enforcement in his satirical music video. The video, which humorously depicted their unsuccessful raid on the rapper’s home, was at the heart of the legal battle.
Joseph Foreman, famously known as Afroman and celebrated for his hit “Because I Got High,” expressed his relief and joy as he raised his hands in victory and embraced supporters in the courtroom. He was cleared of defamation and invasion of privacy charges, including false light publicity, much to his satisfaction.
The lawsuit, initiated by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, stemmed from a drug raid conducted at Foreman’s residence in August 2022. Despite the search, no criminal charges were filed against him.
In response to the ordeal, the hip hop artist created a satirical piece titled “Lemon Pound Cake.” The music video incorporated actual footage from his home surveillance cameras, capturing the raid. Afroman has stated that the song aimed to raise funds for the property damage incurred during the search.
The hip hop star wrote the satirical song “Lemon Pound Cake” and made a music video with real footage of the raid taken from his home surveillance cameras to raise money for property damage caused during the search, he has said.
Seven cops with the sheriff’s office then sued him in March 2023, alleging the music video defamed them, invaded their constitutional privacy, and was an intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The video features footage of the cops busting down his door during, and of one officer eyeing his “mama’s lemon poundcake” with his gun drawn.
After making the music video, Foreman allegedly continued putting up social media posts with names of the officers involved, the lawsuit states.
Several of the posts allegedly falsely claimed that the cops “stole my money” and were “criminals disguised as law enforcement,” according to the suit.
They also falsely stated that the officers are “white supremacists,” that Officer Brian Newman “used to do hard drugs” before “snitching” on his friends, and that Officer Lisa Phillips is “biologically male,” according to the lawsuit.
Foreman’s lawyer had argued the song, which he described as a combination of comedy and music, was simply free speech.
“We see public officials all the time that are made fun of,” lawyer David Osborne said in a closing statement Wednesday. “They are going to be held to higher standards, their work is going to be criticized, that’s just what happens when you’re a public official.”
“It’s a social commentary on the fact that they didn’t do things correctly,” he said of the officers.
An attorney for the police, meanwhile, demanded a total of $3.9 million in damages — divided among the seven officers involved.
“[Foreman] perpetuated lies intentionally repeatedly over 3 1/2 years on the internet about these seven brave deputy sheriffs,” lawyer Robert Klingler said in closing remarks Wednesday. “[He] knew that what he posted on the internet were lies.”
“He says he’s not going to stop…tell him through your verdict that he needs to stop,” Klingler added.
“All of this is their fault,” Foreman testified in court Tuesday, according to WCPO.
“If they hadn’t wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit, I would not know their names, they wouldn’t be on my home surveillance system, and there would be no songs … my money would still be intact.”