Overview

• Busta Rhymes and his company Starbus LLC submitted a defamation counterclaim on Oct. 13 in Brooklyn federal court opposing Dashiel Gables’ allegations.
• His attorney asserts the accusations are false and were made with actual malice, and the countersuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages, legal fees, and a retraction.
• The counterclaim says publicity around the accusations damaged his business opportunities, including being dropped from two advertising campaigns.
• Gables’ earlier federal suit alleges a January 2025 punch, a hostile work environment, and wage-related harms, with a demand for $6–7 million in damages.
• The response disputes any assault, challenges the wage-theft claim by contesting Gables’ employee status, and notes Rhymes’ January arrest on third-degree assault charges tied to the alleged incident.