Fat Joe Faces Sex Trafficking and Fraud Allegations in $2 Million Lawsuit
Former Employee’s 157-Page Complaint Details Coercion, Exploitation, and Trafficking Claims
Rapper Joseph “Fat Joe” Cartagena faces allegations of sex trafficking, fraud, and coercion in a 157-page lawsuit filed June 19 in the Southern District of New York by former employee Terrance “T. A.” Dixon, who worked for Cartagena from 2005 to 2020 as a hype man, lyricist, vocalist, security member, and creative collaborator. The complaint accuses Cartagena and associates of “coercive labor exploitation, financial fraud, sexual manipulation, violent intimidation, and psychological coercion.”
Dixon claims he contributed lyrics and vocals to songs like “Congratulations” and “Ice Cream” without proper compensation. He alleges Cartagena forced him into “humiliating situations, including sex acts performed under duress and surveillance,” threatening abandonment abroad, job loss, or physical harm for non-compliance. The lawsuit further accuses Cartagena of trafficking and grooming minors, with Dixon claiming he “personally witnessed” Cartagena “engage in sexual relations with children who were fifteen and sixteen years old.” A trigger warning accompanies the filing due to its “highly graphic information of a sexual nature.”
Dixon seeks over $2 million in unpaid wages and damages. Cartagena’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, denied the claims, stating Cartagena sued Dixon and lawyer Tyrone Blackburn in April for extortion and slander. “The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation,” Tacopina said, accusing Blackburn of “a well-documented pattern of abusing the courts to harass defendants and generate media attention.”
Blackburn countered, stating, “Fat Joe knows what he has done. My client was with him for nearly 20 years. His memory is perfect, and he has receipts.” He added that “three additional pages of predicated acts” detail further trafficking allegations. Dixon and Blackburn must respond to Cartagena’s lawsuit by June 23, with a hearing set for August 1.
This story originally appeared on ABC News.