Winchester, Ohio –
Seven law enforcement officers have sued rap artist Afroman for improperly using footage of police raids his Ohio home in his music video last year.
Four deputies, two sergeants and a detective from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office filed a lawsuit earlier this month alleging invasion of privacy. No other law enforcement officers involved in the attack have been named as plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs allege that the rapper, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, took facial footage obtained during a raid in August 2022 and used it in music videos and social media posts without his consent. They say it caused them “mental distress, embarrassment, ridicule, loss of reputation and humiliation”.
Plaintiffs seek all benefits Foreman derives from using their personas. This includes income from songs, music videos, tickets to live events, and promotion of his Afroman brand of his Foreman, which sells beer, marijuana, T-shirts and other merchandise. They are also seeking an injunction from the court to remove all videos and posts containing their personas.
The lawsuit names Foreman, his record company, and a Texas-based media distribution company as defendants. In an Instagram post made Wednesday, Foreman vowed to countersue “for the undeniable damage this has done to my clients, family, career, and property.”
Law enforcement officers were acting under a warrant that said drugs and drug paraphernalia may have been found on Foreman’s property, and that trafficking and kidnapping may have taken place, officials said. However, these allegations were found to be unfounded and a search of the house failed to find any corroborating evidence of the crime.
Hundreds of dollars seemed to be missing when the cash seized during the raid was returned to Foreman. A subsequent investigation by the state’s Criminal Investigation Service found that investigators had miscounted the amount of money seized during the raid.
Foreman is best known for “Because I Got High” and “Crazy Rap” from the album The Good Times. He is also known for his political activism, announcing his plans to run for president last December.
