Roughly 18 months after hip-hop star Lil Uzi Vert accepted a plea deal for assaulting fellow rapper Saint Jhn and his ex-girlfriend, the “Do What I Want” singer viciously attacked a New York City man for looking at a Rolls-Royce.
That’s according to a newly filed lawsuit obtained by The Daily Beast, which accuses the 28-year-old Vert—born Symere Bysil Woods—of pummeling victim Abdullah Ali outside a Manhattan cellphone store. The Rolls was being unloaded from a trailer owned by prizefighter Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s company, the lawsuit states.
It says Ali, 60, was “lawfully present” on Park Avenue South around 30th Street when Vert went after him, unprovoked, as Ali “was observing a Rolls Royce vehicle that was parked in a Money Team LLC labeled trailer at or near the aforesaid location.”
Ali, who had innocently snapped a few photos of the luxury vehicle, according to his attorneys, had several teeth knocked out and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
The 28-year-old Vert, who bought Mayweather’s $1.7 Bugatti Veyron as a 25th birthday present for himself, was with his and Mayweather’s respective entourages during the brutal June 27, 2023 incident, according to the suit.
“Contrary to popular belief the streets of New York City are not a boxing ring,” Ali’s attorney Matthew Blit told The Daily Beast.
Blit, who along with co-counsel Michael Rose, has previously represented professional baseball players such as Dwight Gooden and Barry Lyons, as well as members of the rock band Blue Öyster Cult, added, “There are ramifications for laying your hands on a person. Our client was helpless that night, but he has chosen wisely to level the playing field and challenge the champ and musician in court with us in his corner.”
Rose said, “It’s unfortunate that these men who have had so much success in life think that they can do whatever they want to people because of their fame and fortune.”
At least six employees of Mayweather’s Money Team, along with a half-dozen people who worked for Vert, were also involved, according to the suit, which names Vert, Mayweather, and John Does 1 through 12 as defendants. Although the suit does not say whether or not Mayweather himself was on the scene, Vert’s publicist told The Daily Beast, “Lil Uzi Vert doesn’t know Floyd Mayweather or have any form of affiliation with Mayweather’s Money Team and was not at the site of the alleged incident.”
The hangers-on “failed to act to prevent or intervene in an altercation, [initiated] by the defendants,” and all “exhibited a reckless disregard for human life and safety and more particularly, for the life and safety of plaintiff,” Ali’s suit claims.
It is unclear why Vert became so upset about Ali taking a peek at the vehicle.
Mayweather was unable to be reached for comment on Thursday.
Abdullah Ali says he lost several teeth in the beating.
Courtesy Levine & Blit
The ambush by Vert was “malicious and intentional,” ultimately rendering Ali “sick, sore, lame, and disabled,” according to the suit.
“[H]e has experienced pain, suffering, and a loss of enjoyment of life, and will experience same in the future,” the suit goes on, adding that Ali has since “been unable to attend his usual avocation and activities.”
Ali has also suffered “serious personal, economic, and other” injuries, it says.
In February 2022, Vert pleaded no contest to criminal threats and felony assault with a firearm, along with misdemeanor domestic violence and weapons charges after attacking his ex, Brittany Byrd, at a cafe in West Hollywood.
According to reports at the time, Vert pulled up in a Cadillac Escalade to the restaurant, where Byrd was “discussing a business project” with Guyanese-American rapper Saint Jhn. He then reportedly swung at Saint Jhn but missed, after which he allegedly punched Byrd and pointed a gun at her. He was sentenced to three years probation, one year of mental health treatment, one year of substance abuse treatment, one year of domestic violence counseling, a 10-year criminal protective order, and ordered to pay restitution.
Six months earlier, Vert leapt from the stage into the crowd during a Miami concert, where a $24 million pink diamond embedded in the rapper’s forehead was ripped out by overexcited fans.
Earlier this year, Mayweather was sued by a California man who claimed he was physically battered by one of Mayweather’s bodyguards for trying to film the former world champion at a Los Angeles eatery. A decade earlier, a Mayweather associate was arrested and charged with attempted murder after cops said he shot at a man in Las Vegas who wished Mayweather “bad luck in his next fight,” according to the Associated Press.
Ali’s lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in New York State Supreme Court, lists six individual causes of action against Vert, Mayweather, and John Does 1-12: negligence; negligent infliction of emotional distress; intentional infliction of emotional distress; negligent hiring, retention, and supervision; assault; and battery. He is demanding unspecified damages, to be determined in court.
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