Dr. Dre has been accused of “unbearable harassment” and is being sued for $10million by a divorce psychotherapist.
According to a new report by Rolling Stone, Dr. Charles Sophy has filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, claiming that the musician and producer – real name Andre Young – hired him in 2018 to help strengthen the relationship between him and his now ex-wife Nicole.
The couple reached a settlement in 2021, however, in his new lawsuit, Sophy alleges that Dr. Dre contacted him and accused him of acting improperly.
“Rather than treating the mediation process as an opportunity for healing, Young decided to take his frustrations about the mediation out on Dr. Sophy — frustrations that manifested themselves in the form of a nearly year-long sustained campaign of late-night texts, threats of intimidation and violence, and homophobic rhetoric,” the lawsuit states (via Rolling Stone).
These alleged texts, the lawsuit states, include an “overly threatening” message sent on February 16 2023, when Dre reportedly told Sophy that he was “going to have to pay for that” and later called him “a piece of shit”.
Sophy has also claimed that the producer “falsely” accused him of acting improperly in the divorce mediation and claims he tried to turn an unidentified third party against him.
Dr. Dre onstage during the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony for Dr. Dre on March 19, 2024. CREDIT: Monica Schipper/Getty Images
In response to the allegations made by Sophy, Dre’s Lawyer Howard King shared a statement with Rolling Stone. In the comments, King said that Dre filed a “confidential complaint” against Sophy with the Osteopathic Medical Board of California in 2023. This, he said, was done “to get Dr. Sophy punished for dereliction of duties and incredible incompetence.”
“That complaint seeks revocation of Dr. Sophy’s licence to provide mental health counselling to needy patients,” it added. “In gross violation of all applicable standards of care, Dr. Sophy inserted himself into a contentious divorce while he simultaneously “treated” not only Mr. and Mrs. Young, but their children.
“He was terminated when it was revealed that he was encouraging one of their children to take sides against Mr. Young, even encouraging his son to go to the press with false allegations in order to force a financial settlement that he recommended,” the statement to Rolling Stone added.
“Dr. Sophy has consistently rebuffed Medical Board attempts to investigate these claims, but has now filed this desperate suit while the noose of the Medical Board is tightening.”
Elsewhere in Sophy’s lawsuit, he accuses Dre of trying to make him unlawfully disclose information from a confidential therapy session with a third party. Sophy claims he refused and “tried to stay calm and hope that Young’s threats, harassment and intimidation would stop.”
Dr. Dre at the star ceremony where Dr. Dre is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)
After this, Sophy alleges he received a “disturbing and chilling text message” that read: “Don’t worry I haven’t forgotten about you.” He also claims in the lawsuit that the “sinister” text made him feel “more fearful for his life than ever before”.
“Dr. Sophy lives in constant fear,” the lawsuit reads. “The egregiousness of Young’s persistent harassing behaviour has compelled Dr. Sophy to seek redress and protection. Nobody should have to live in constant fear. But Dr. Sophy does — ironically for no other reason than he tried to help Young to resolve his own family’s conflict.”
With the lawsuit, Sophy is looking to seek compensatory damages of at least $10 million and punitive damages to be decided at trial. As reported by Stereogum, the legal action also has claims for civil harassment, threat of violence based on his sexual orientation, and a court order prohibiting contact.
This is a developing story.
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