Top Dawg Entertainment suffered an early loss in its $48 million sexual misconduct lawsuit.
According to Rolling Stone, Los Angeles County Judge Michael E. Whitaker ruled Thursday that the hip-hop label will face doxxing claims in the ongoing legal battle waged by two women. The plaintiffs sued TDE in late 2024, saying there was a “pervasive culture of sexual harassment within TDE, implicating some of its highest-ranking executives.”
The complaint remained relatively quiet until January 2025, when the women’s attorneys issued a press release detailing the allegations. The accusers were identified as Jane Doe and Jane Roe in legal documents; however, shortly after the press release dropped, TDE responded with a statement that referred to the plaintiffs by their full, legal names.
The women amended the lawsuit back in February to include doxxing among their causes of action, claiming they endured online harassment and professional setbacks after their names were released.
Lawyers representing TDE argued they did not violate California law by identifying the accusers by name, as the plaintiffs had gone to the media without obtaining a court order to seal their names.
“[The lawsuit] implies that they had some inside, direct knowledge that there is a pervasive atmosphere of sexual harassment present within our client’s organization,” TDE lawyer Allison Hart told the judge. “It was necessary to identify the plaintiffs in order to refute that statement.”
Whitaker disagreed, ruling TDE’s decision to reveal the plaintiffs’ “true identities was not a necessary part of correcting the narrative in the public record.”
Hart responded to the decision in a June 12 statement to Billboard, saying her clients intended to “immediately appeal” the ruling.
“We have the utmost respect for the court, but believe that yesterday’s decision that our clients were not allowed to disclose the plaintiffs’ names was in error,” she wrote.
The plaintiffs filed the amended suit under their real names, Linda Luna and Ayah Altayri. In their original and updated complaints, the women accused TDE employees and executives of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and breach of contract.
Luna, who reportedly began working with the label in 2019, claimed TDE’s chief marketing officer, Brandon Tiffith, tried to force her into oral sex, while TDE President Anthony Tiffith, Jr., sexually harassed her via text. She also accused the label of failing to pay her for her services.
Altayri alleged she was sexually harassed and assaulted on TDE property and that the label turned a blind eye when the incidents were brought to their attention. Brandon and Anthony are the sons of TDE founder Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith.
TDE lawyer Marty Singer dismissed the lawsuit as a “shakedown” and claimed the plaintiffs never worked for the imprint.
“This is a clear example of a shakedown lawsuit by Linda Luna and Ayah Altayri who made a demand of $48 million through their attorneys on fabricated claims, and whose attorneys are looking for their 10 minutes of fame,” Singer wrote in a statement. “There are text messages and communications that totally refute these baseless claims. Additionally, Ms. Luna and Ms. Altayri were never employees of Top Dawg Entertainment. We are confident that we will prevail in this action.”
