Busta Rhymes settles lawsuit with former assistant who claims he punched him
Busta Rhymes has settled an assault lawsuit filed by his ex-assistant.
In August 2025, Dashiel ‘Divine’ Gables filed a federal lawsuit in the Eastern District of New York, accusing Busta of punching him.
According to Rolling Stone, Busta and Gables revealed they had reached a private settlement in a letter to the judge this week.
“The parties are finalising the settlement documentation and anticipate that it will be completed within ten days,” their lawyers wrote, with the judge ordering them to file a formal motion by June 1st.
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office stated that the outcome of the case had been sealed.
Gables claimed Busta assaulted him in his Brooklyn home in January 2025. During an alleged argument between them, Gables’ daughter called him, and he texted her back as he was unable to answer the phone.
He claimed that Busta told him to “stay the fuck off your phone” before punching him twice. Gables also claimed that Busta didn’t pay him for overtime, used homophobic slurs towards him, and made fun of his hearing.
In response, Busta said, “I have been made aware of the claims made by Dashiel Gables, and I completely and categorically deny these allegations. For a very brief period, Dashiel assisted me, but it did not work out. Apparently, Dashiel has decided to respond to being let go by manufacturing claims against me in an attempt to attack and damage my reputation.”
Busta described the claims as “an attempted shake-down by a disgruntled former assistant,” before countersuing him.
In the countersuit, the rapper’s lawyer claimed Gables “knew the statements were false, or acted with reckless disregard for the truth, including by fabricating allegations of criminal conduct and violence, omitting exculpatory facts and deliberately ignoring contrary evidence.”