It is reported that French Montana was sued for negligence due to a shooting incident during the filming of a music video in January, as a result of which 10 people were injured.
Rolling Stone reports that on Monday (March 20), a $50,000 lawsuit was filed against the rapper by alleged shooting victim Carl Leon. It is reported that Leon was injured in the shooting, claiming that he received “serious bodily injuries, pain, mental suffering and loss of the ability to enjoy life.”
The lawsuit also featured Coke Boys Records from Montana, The Licking (the restaurant where the shooting occurred) and the owner of the Gayles Plaza property as defendants along with Montana.
“All the Defendants failed to properly plan and safely carry out the production of the music video. Instead, they deliberately ignored the extreme risks of harming its participants, including [Leon],” Leon claims in the lawsuit.
Leon also claimed that the music video was originally shot in a separate unnamed location before that location was compromised after an “altercation and robbery”, after which Montana and the crew moved filming to The Licking. Neither The Licking nor the owner of the property have commented on the lawsuit.
Leon’s lawyer Josiah Graham said in a statement to Rolling Stone: “This was an extremely unpleasant situation, as a result of which several people were seriously injured. The most egregious thing is that people were beaten and robbed on the set of this video, and [production] was not closed. Montana continued shooting the video, moved it across the street, and the attackers returned and shot the place. Such things should not continue.”
The lawsuit also claimed that after further investigation, the Montana team failed to obtain the necessary permits to shoot the video and ensure the safety of the set. Responding to news of the January 6 shooting, Montana tweeted that he was “celebrating the release of [his “Coke Boys 6″ mixtape with] friends at a local restaurant” when the incident occurred.
Last night, I was in Miami celebrating the release of my CB6 mixtape w/ friends at a local restaurant. We unfortunately were at the wrong place, at the wrong time when an incident took place that left people hurt. Our thoughts & prayers are w/ the victims & families at this time
— French Montana (@FrencHMonTanA) January 6, 2023
“Unfortunately, we were in the wrong place at the wrong time when the incident occurred, as a result of which people were injured. Our thoughts [and] prayers [are with] the victims [and] families at this time,” “Unfortunately, we were in the wrong place at the wrong time when the incident occurred, as a result of which people were injured,” he said.
French Montana spokesman Ted Anastasiou has since denied that his client bears any responsibility for the incident. “Carl Leon was never invited to the restaurant on the night of the incident,” Anastasiou told Rolling Stone magazine. “His interest in the lawsuit is solely to use it and gain financial benefit from it, and his rethinking of his invitation and current statements is just a blatantly lucrative game and publicity stunt.”
“In addition to rejecting the allegations of Mr. Leon and his lawyer, we implore them to take a good, long look in the mirror and ask if their loved ones will respect them for trying to make money on outright lies,” Anastasiou added.
