Overview
- A new civil suit filed in New York names David Thornton, not his son Declyn “Dex” Lauper, alleging Dex assaulted an anonymous woman in a SoHo penthouse in 2020 that Thornton leased.
- The filing says Dex invited the woman over, paid for her ride, took her phone when she tried to leave, pushed her onto a bed, forced his genitals over her mouth, used racial slurs, and left her with neck and spine pain.
- Plaintiff lawyers argue Thornton knew of prior public accusations against Dex, including 2018 claims by ex-girlfriend Brittney Taylor and alleged past settlements, yet let him use the apartment without limits.
- The case is civil, not criminal, with the woman seeking compensatory and punitive damages and legal fees, and the suit argues liability based on control of the premises and prior notice rather than a new criminal charge.
- Reports also note Dex’s recent plea to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon tied to a 2024 Harlem case, which resulted in one year of interim probation, alongside a 2022 arrest for unauthorized use of a vehicle.