LOS ANGELES—A Los Angeles judge ordered rapper Jayceon Terrell Taylor, known as The Game, to pay his former nanny $200,627 for defaming her on Instagram.
Plaintiff Karen Monroe, the former nanny to The Game’s children, sued the rapper in July 2013 after he allegedly defamed her. Monroe claims he accused her of neglecting his children and being a dangerous babysitter in a rant on Instagram. She sued The Game for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Monroe’s attorney argues that millions of people saw the posting, ruining her reputation. Monroe received death threats and lost her job as a nanny to another celebrity, singer, Kelis.
The lawsuit alleged rapper falsely claimed he fired Monroe after she yelled at his children, and that she left Northern California because of her past acts of molestation. He said while she worked for him she drank and smoked heavily while on the job. He also stated he caught Monroe having sex with her boyfriend in his daughter’s room.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff issued a default judgement of $200,627 after The Game failed to respond to the suit on June 10. Monroe’s attorney Manu Elloie opted for the default judgement when the rapper initially chose not to respond to the suit.
In Beckloff’s ruling, he states Monroe had to seek therapy for depression and had mood swings so severe that she had to take medication. The ruling references a statement by Monroe, in which she claims a reputation makes or breaks nannies in the celebrity nanny business, and that she now has a hard time finding work in the industry. He also used a declaration by psychologist Shani Habib, who noted Monroe had difficulty sleeping, was concerned about her safety, and was in a deep depression.
The Game was in court on March 29, for allegedly hitting and threatening an off-duty police officer during a pick-up game of basketball at Hollywood High. The officer, Onyebuchi Awaji, filed suit back in April for more than $12 million.
The alleged incident was recorded and posted online. The Game pled not guilty in a downtown Los Angeles court to charges of the alleged assault . He could face up to three years in prison for the felony charge of making a criminal threat, along with a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery.
