Drake no longer has to worry about dishing out billions of dollars to a woman who was once arrested for trespassing at his California home. A judge tossed out the massive claim, citing that Mesha Collins failed to present evidence to support her claims against the Grammy winner.
In a Dec. 17 ruling obtained by Billboard, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Virginia Keeny wrote, “Plaintiff Collins has not demonstrated any of defendant Graham’s statements were about plaintiff Collins or that he used her identity, name, or likeness in his Instagram posts or endorsements.”
Keeny added that “Even if plaintiff Collins could establish the statements were about her, she has failed to establish that such statements were of a private fact that is offensive and objectionable to the reasonable person.”
The ruling was based on California’s anti-SLAPP law. Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation statutes are intended to prevent people from using courts and potential threats of a lawsuit, to intimidate people who exercise their First Amendment rights. It also allows judges to dismiss meritless cases quickly.
The “God’s Plan” emcee was hit the suit by Collins last June. The woman accused the actor, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, of using her name and likeness via his social media and product endorsements.
Drake’s attorney, Stanton “Larry” Stein, called the lawsuit “frivolous” and based on “delusional figments of her imagination.”
“After trespassing at his home and being arrested in 2017, plaintiff Mesha Collins now attempts to make contact with musician Aubrey Drake Graham by suing him,” Stein wrote in his legal response to Collins’ claim. “This is pure fiction. Until he was served with this lawsuit, Graham had no idea who Collins was.”
In his response, Drake said he didn’t know Collins before her claim. “I do not know Plaintiff. I have never met her and have never communicated with her. I did not even know of Plaintiff until this lawsuit was filed and served. Indeed, I was unaware of Plaintiff’s identity, name, or where she alleges she lives until the filing and service of this lawsuit,” the rapper wrote at the time.
“In April 2017, somebody broke into my Los Angeles home when I was not there. At the time of that incident, I was not told any details about the trespasser, including her name,” he added.
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