Now Afroman is facing a lawsuit from the security forces who broke into his house.
Seven officers of the Adams County Sheriff’s Department in Ohio, who raided Afroman’s home last year, are now suing him for invasion of their privacy because of the video he took during the raid.
Four deputies, two sergeants and a detective claim that the Afroman, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, took their faces during the raid and used them in music videos and social media posts without their consent — an offense under Ohio law.
The officers are also suing on civil grounds, claiming that Foreman’s use of their image in videos and social media posts leads to their “emotional stress, embarrassment, ridicule, loss of reputation and humiliation,” demanding an injunction to remove all videos. and messages containing their similarities.
In addition, the plaintiffs say they are entitled to all of Forman’s profits from his use of their image. This profit includes “income from songs, music videos and tickets for live performances,” as well as the promotion of the Afroman brand, under which he sells beer, cannabis and goods.
Cincinnati attorney Robert Klingler filed a lawsuit in Adams County Common Pleas Court on March 13, naming Forman, his record label and a Texas media distribution company in the lawsuit. It is noteworthy that not every officer who participated in the raid is listed as a plaintiff in the documentation.
On March 22, Foreman took to Instagram with a promise to file a counterclaim “for the undeniable damage this has caused to my clients, family, career and property.”
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office conducted an armed raid on Foreman’s home last August, acting on a warrant alleging that drugs and supplies were found in the premises, as well as that human trafficking and kidnapping had taken place. The suspicions were not confirmed, and no charges were filed.
“They come in here with AR-15s, injure my kids, destroy my property, kick down my door, rip up and destroy my camera system,” Foreman said in August.
Within a few months after the raid, Afroman released two songs related to the incident: “Lemon Pound Cake” and “Will You Help Me Repair My Door” with music videos that used footage of the raid from surveillance cameras of his home and his wife’s camera. telephone.
Instagram Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, the complaint says Foreman “created dozens of videos and images of the Plaintiffs’ characters and posted them on various social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram.” In particular, the application mentions seven Instagram posts that have since been deleted, which allegedly demonstrated a “conscious or reckless disregard” for their rights.
