Afroman has scored a legal victory over deputies in his defamation and privacy lawsuit, according to local station WCPO Channel 9 in Cincinnati. On Wednesday, a jury sided with the 51-year-old rapper in the lawsuit filed by seven members of an Ohio’s sheriff’s office.
Afroman, whose real name is Joseph Edgar Foreman, testified in the trial on Tuesday. The sheriff’s deputies had claimed he used their likenesses without permission in music videos and merchandise and made false statements about them following a raid on his home in August 2022.
The “Because I Got High” rapper said he was in the right.
"In all circumstances, the jury finds in favor of the defendant. No plaintiff verdict prevailed. So the matter will be concluded with defense verdicts,” said Judge Jonathan P. Hein, who was presiding over Afroman's defamation trial in Adams County, Ohio.
On Tuesday, Randolph L. Walters Jr., a deputy involved in Afroman’s legal case testified that the rapper’s lyrics and videos caused him serious personal and emotional harm, particularly claims involving his wife that he says are defamatory.
“It’s caused tremendous pain in my life,” Walters said when asked about the impact. When pressed on whether the claims portrayed him in a false light, he responded, “Yes, that my wife is cheating on me with [Afroman].” Walters also claimed that being labeled negatively in Afroman’s content, including being called a “thief,” has damaged his reputation.
An Ohio deputy also became emotional in court while watching an Afroman music video that mocked her, as testimony continued in a case tied to a 2022 raid on the rapper’s home.
The 51-year-old rapper testified in court that his songs and music videos were protected as free speech, as the Adams County Sheriff’s Department sued him for defamation and unauthorized use of their likeness across videos, merchandise, and social media.
Not long after the verdict was announced in Afroman’s favor, he shared a video in celebration of his legal victory to Instagram on Wednesday.
“WE DID IT AMERICA 🇺🇸 GOD BLESS AMERICA 🇺🇸 LAND THAT I LOVE !!!
FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!!!!!!!!!! ,” he captioned the clip.
