Overview
- The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ and reported July 18, 2026, was filed by Dustin Batista and centers on an alleged physical encounter at the 2025 Dominican Day Parade in New York.
- Batista’s complaint names Lamont Gilbert, known as “Cuddy,” as the alleged assailant and says Gilbert was working as Kai Cenat’s security guard when the incident occurred.
- The filing states the encounter was unprovoked and quotes Batista saying he “did not threaten, attack, provoke, consent to contact with, or otherwise justify the attack.”
- Batista accuses Gilbert of assault and battery and separately names Cenat under vicarious liability and negligent-hiring theories, which would hold an employer responsible for an agent’s on-duty conduct or for failing to vet staff.
- Kai Cenat has not publicly responded to the complaint and the case remains an early-stage civil dispute that a court will need to evaluate, with potential consequences for Cenat’s security practices and public profile.