After years of being the fiery visionary behind Roc-A-Fella Records and a self-styled mogul of the music and film worlds, Damon Dash is watching his empire fall, this time through the gavel of a federal judge.
Dash's wife and business partner, Raquel Horn, has been ordered by the U.S. District Court in New York to sell her share of The Dash Group, the company that owns the brand, and other assets associated with Dash to help pay back the nearly $100,000 he owes filmmaker and author Edwyna Brooks.
The ruling stems from a 2019 lawsuit that Brooks filed against Dash for selling a film based on her Mafietta book series without her consent. She won a victory in 2020 for $78,289, but Dash wouldn't pay. He fought back by filing a countersuit, which he eventually lost. The situation has only snowballed since then.
Brooks contends that Dash attempted to thwart that payment by hiding assets and moving funds through shell companies such as The Dash Group and Poppington LLC. After years of stalling and evasion, she recently persuaded the court to pursue an aggressive new course of action: a court-ordered sale.
That brings us to the latest action by the courtroom: the appointment of a receiver to manage the process of liquidating Horn's portion of The Dash Group, a company that court papers indicate she completely owns. This is not just a side hustle but the soul of Dash's recent creative enterprises. The Dash Group contains his streaming network America Nu, the CEOByDash website, and even a children's book, Dusko Goes To Space.
Dash must also deliver all documents and provide unfettered access to company records. The cash from this asset fire sale will be used to pay off the Brooks judgment.
A few months ago, Dash was forced to auction off his beloved one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella Records. The sale garnered an underwhelming $1 million, some of which was meant for unpaid child support and more than $1.7 million in back taxes. Ultimately, the original lenders got nothing.
Another $823,000 is owed in an unrelated case over the film "Dear Frank" and a $4 million defamation judgment, while an enormous $8 million tax bill hangs like a guillotine over Dash in New York.
With reports of his supposed divorce filings circulating and the specter of contempt or perhaps arrest looming if he doesn't comply, it's evident that Dash's legal issues have hit the boiling point.
There is one consolation, however: Brooks can't be awarded more than what she is owed, which is $78,000 plus interest. But whether Dash can save anything from the wreckage is an open question.
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