Talib Kweli Accused of Sexual Harassment by Ex-Collaborator Res [PHOTO]
Talib Kweli has been accused of sexual harassment by his former collaborator, the R&B singer Res.
Res, whose real name is Shareese Ballard, was an artist on Kweli’s record label Javotti Media. According to Pitchfork, Kweli and Javotti Media sued Res for breach of contract and copyright violation.
In September 2016, Res countersued claiming that she turned in an album as contracted but also added a sexual harassment complaint on top of that. Judge Carolyn Wade dismissed the singer’s counterclaim citing not enough evidence.
In May, Kweli's attorneys filed court papers to enforce a March settlement agreement between him and Res, which consists of the singer paying Kweli $12,000 and releasing her from Javotti Media.
Last Friday (June 1), Res and Kweli engaged in a Twitter spat as the singer posted multiple tweets accusing the rapper of holding her career “hostage” and refusing to let her release the music that she recorded for him. She then claimed Kweli is doing all of this because she rejected his advances. She shared a screenshot of an alleged 2014 email from the rapper, where he admits that he tried to kiss her once. Res also claimed that there are other women with stories about Kweli as well.
Kweli has denied Res' sexual harassment claims. The rapper went on his Instagram page and revealed his legal battle against the singer. He claims that she is trying to use the #metoo movement to bully him into dropping the lawsuit.
"[Res] was dropped from my label Javotti Media in 2013 for disrespecting my employees and for failing to turn in an album I invested in," he writes. "I am not holding her music because she never turned any music in. At all. Ever."
"Res has not accepted this outcome, so she is using smear tactics," he continued. "Recently, she fired her lawyer in the other case, the one where she profited off of my music without my permission. So now she is trying to use the #metoo movement to bully me into dropping my lawsuit against her. I fully and categorically deny any allegation of sexual harassment."