Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat Get Sued for Assault

Former Atlanta Falcons cheerleader, actress and dance choreographer Shayla Stevens has filed a civil suit against So So Def CEO Jermaine Dupri and rapper Da Brat for an incident that occurred at Dupri's club in 2007. Stevens filed the suit in Fulton County, Georgia, claiming she was attacked while working as a part-time waitress during a Halloween party at Dupri's nightclub Studio 72. According to the suit, former So So Def artist Da Brat hit Stevens in the head with a 1.7 liter bottle of rum, causing possible neurological injury and permanent damage to her face.

Stevens alleges that neither Dupri, nor numerous club security personnel attempted to step in and protect her from Da Brat's vicious assault. Da Brat already plead guilty to a charge of felony aggravated assault for the attack in 2008. She was sentenced to three years in prison, seven years of probation and 200 hours of community service. Stevens' civil suit cites this judgment as well as numerous similar incidents of violence against women, including a 2000 sentence Da Brat received for assaulting a woman with a gun in a nightclub in the Buckhead section of Atlanta.

Due to the incident, Stevens claims she missed Falcons games, promotional events and a scheduled appearance on Tyler Perry's 'House of Payne' sitcom, in addition to several other professional opportunities.