Snoop Dogg Denies Smacking Fan Onstage

Rapper says he feared for his life when a fan jumped onstage and that his bodyguards were reacting to what they thought was a threat

By Natalie Finn Apr 27, 2009 11:30 PMTags
Snoop DoggJeff Vespa/Getty Images

Snoop Dogg's latest rap: denial.

Taking the stand in his ongoing civil trial, the hip-hop star testified Monday that he did not hit plaintiff Richard Monroe Jr. with a brass knuckle microphone during a 2005 gig in Seattle.

Snoop, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, said that he feared for his life when Monroe, who's suing the rapper for $22 million, hopped onstage—only to be swarmed by Snoop's bodyguards and other rappers, including fellow Los Angeles-area native The Game.

He has no idea who hit Monroe, Snoop said, adding that he only witnessed the fight for a moment before his security team whisked him to safety. He once considered suing Monroe for attacking him, he said.

"The best way for the injuries not to have occurred [was] for him to stay in his seat and enjoy the show like the rest of the fans," Snoop said.

The plaintiff, who claimed in his lawsuit that he thought that he had an invite to come onstage, was treated at a nearby hospital for a broken nose, a busted lip, black eyes and bruised ribs.

Video footage of the incident that was played in court today showed the Game in the middle of the fray, along with multiple members of his entourage.

"Man, I can't make it out—a lot of bald heads," Snoop jested  when trying to describe the scene, prompting a smattering of laughter in the courtroom.


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