Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment
Entertainment

Damon Dash Blasts Topson Downs Clothing Company for Stealing From Black Culture, His Ex Rachel Roy

Posted byBy Daryl Nelson | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

It seems like Damon Dash has become the unofficial watchdog for hip-hop culture.

Earlier this year, he called out music executive Lyor Cohen and accused him of taking advantage of young artists. He then came after Lee Daniels for a $2 million investment, and now Dame has his sights set on the fashion company Topson Downs.

Damon Dash accused Topson Downs of stealing from his ex Rachel Roy

Instagram

Dash blasted the company on an Instagram message, accusing them of stealing from Black culture and profiting from it. He also said the fashion company has been taking from his ex-wife Rachel Roy, and somehow they’re trying to steal her away.

“Now it’s time to point out the culture vultures in the fashion industry based on my first hand experiences,” wrote Dame in a now deleted post. “These are the dudes that have been robbing my family and taking advantage of a woman. The company is @topondowns. You guys will not be robbing my family anymore and taking care of your own.”

Dame then named the people in the company that he feels is most responsible for doing bad business, the father and son duo Joe and Jackson Wirht.

“Joe, your son @jacksonwirht is able to benefit from your hard work. You don’t think mine should?” he wrote. “You really think your gonna just take @rachel_roy from our family? #Staytuned. Wait ’till y’all hear this whole story. Everyone, please repost.”

Specifically, the Roc-A-Fella co-founder accused the company of profiting from Roy’s designs but leaving her with various costs. He also said the company robbed him and his family of millions of dollars.

“Ya’ll really think I’m gonna [let] this kind of dude rob me of $6 million dollars and disrespect my culture and my children,” wrote Dash. “This story is classic culture vulture sh– and it’s got to stop.”

Topson Downs has yet to respond to the allegations.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top