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Fat Joe believes the lawsuit his former hypeman filed against him is part of a smear campaign that has cost him millions.
According to a report Complex published Thursday, July 24, Joe filed an amendment to his ongoing lawsuit against Terrance “T.A.” Dixon and his attorney Tyrone Blackburn over the "fabricated, grotesque, and scandalous allegations" they made in their legal complaint. The Terror Squad leader claimed their alleged extortion attempt caused him to lose out on $10 million worth of numerous business opportunities for his Joe & Jada podcast, his grooming brand and more.
"The lawsuit filed by Tyrone Blackburn and Terrance Dixon is a blatant act of retaliation," Joe Tacopina, Fat Joe’s attorney, said in a statement. "The allegations against Mr. Joseph Antonio Cartagena are complete fabrications — lies intended to damage his reputation and force a settlement through public pressure. Mr. Cartagena will not be intimidated. We have taken legal action to expose this fraudulent campaign and hold everyone involved accountable."
Dixon worked as Fat Joe's hypeman from 2006 to 2019. According to Joe, Dixon was compensated during his employment. Unfortunately, Dixon wasn't happy with the amount he received, so he hired Blackburn to get more money for his alleged contributions to select songs. A month after they sent Joe a letter requesting the money, Dixon threatened to sue Joe over allegations of forced labor, sex trafficking and more. The lawsuit was filed last month, but Joe flat-out denied the allegations.
In his new legal documents, Joe said Dixon and Blackburn's lawsuit cost him several endorsement deals, primetime TV appearances, and retail contracts for his Rewind It beard coloring product. He's asking for $15 million in damages plus interest. Joe also scrutinized Blackburn's professional tactics.
Joe's latest amendment also includes a section about Blackburn's unfavorable track record, including a judge's referral to the grievance committee. In 2024, a judge accused Blackburn of "improperly [filing] cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly." Blackburn was also arrested last month and booked on suspicion of assault after he allegedly hit a process server with his car.