DaBaby has won a court order tossing out assault and battery claims over a 2022 brawl with the brother of his ex-girlfriend DaniLeigh, though the rapper could still be on the hook financially as the case continues against a bowling alley where the attack allegedly occurred.
Los Angeles County judge Huey P. Cotton released an order Wednesday (May 21) dismissing claims against DaBaby (Jonathan Lyndale Kirk) and his record label Billion Dollar Baby Entertainment in the lawsuit brought in 2022 by fellow musical artist Brandon Bills (Brandon Curiel), citing Bills’ failure to properly serve court papers on the rapper within three years.
Bills, the brother of singer DaniLeigh — who shares a daughter with DaBaby — claims DaBaby assaulted him “suddenly and without warning” when he walked by the rapper at a San Fernando Valley bowling alley in 2022. The incident was captured on video and published by TMZ, and DaBaby publicly claimed that he acted in self-defense.
Bills’ attorneys say it’s been “virtually impossible” to serve DaBaby due to his busy international touring schedule. But Judge Cotton says that “the only thing that made timely service difficult was plaintiff’s own lack of urgency.”
“The court finds plaintiff’s explanations unavailing,” wrote the judge. “Service was not attempted until more than a year after the case had been filed. The concert schedule attached does show some out of the country engagements. But the majority of the concert venues were in the United States.”
Though the assault and battery claims against DaBaby were thrown out, the lawsuit will continue against bowling alley Corbin Bowl, which stands accused of negligence for failing to prevent the alleged attack. DaBaby remains involved in the litigation because Corbin Bowl has added its own so-called “indemnity” claims, saying the rapper should be held financially responsible for any judgment or settlement in the case. The bowling alley denies that it acted negligently but says that if it is held responsible for Bills’ injuries, the court should find that those injuries were “proximately caused” by DaBaby. This sort of indemnity ruling could put the rapper on the hook for paying some or all of Corbin Bowl’s legal bills.
The claims against the bowling alley are set to go to trial in fall 2026.
Reached for comment on the decision, Bills’ attorney Anthony Werbin emphasized to Billboard that DaBaby is “still a party in the case” due to the indemnity claims. DaBaby’s lawyer declined to comment on the ruling.
