Busta Rhymes is asking a federal judge in Brooklyn to enforce a stricter protective order, claiming his former assistant could leak confidential case materials and jeopardize his right to a fair trial.
The Hip-Hop icon and his attorneys argue that sensitive items, such as private messages, videos, and arrest records, must remain sealed to prevent media exposure before trial. This legal move comes as Rhymes battles both civil and criminal claims from Dashiel Gables, his former assistant. Gables filed a lawsuit in August 2025 seeking $6 million in damages. He alleges Rhymes assaulted him in January in the lobby of the rapper’s Brooklyn apartment building, then fired him after he reported the incident to police. The complaint also accuses Busta Rhymes of wage theft, workplace mistreatment and blacklisting him in the music industry. Rhymes has denied all wrongdoing and filed a countersuit in October, accusing Gables of defamation.
In court filings, he called the original lawsuit a “shake-down” and rejected claims that he assaulted Gables or forced employees to perform degrading tasks. That includes an allegation that one assistant was told to unclog a toilet with his bare hand.