Rosario Dawson & Her Family Sued By Transgender Ex-Employee For Assault: Report

BY Erika Marie 4.3K Views
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Rosario Dawson
The actress and three of her family members allegedly attacked a longtime friend.

She may be making headlines over her romance with presidential hopeful Cory Booker, but attention has also been drawn to Rosario Dawson over a lawsuit filed against her. A report by TMZ states that a former employee of Rosario's has made a slew of accusations against the actress, including allegations that she and her family assaulted him for being transgender.

The outlet states that prior to transitioning, Dedrek Finley's name was Deidre. He reportedly has known Rosario and her family for decades and moved from New York City to Los Angeles after the actress's mother asked him to. Dedrek states that when he shared with Rosario's family that he was transgender, the family wasn't pleased. They refused to use his new name or pronouns, and Rosario would tell him, "You're a grown woman."

Rosario Dawson & Her Family Sued By Transgender Ex-Employee For Assault: Report

This both angered and offended Dedrek, but he continued to work for Rosario. The deal was that he could live at the actress's house in North Hollywood rent-free if he worked on home renovations. However, he states his hours were cut and he was unexpectedly told he needed to leave. Then, in April 2018, Rosario's mother allegedly came knocking at the door, but when Dedrek stated he didn't want to speak with her, she became violent, damaged the property, said she would kill his cat, punched him, and yelled that he wasn't "so much of a man now." Rosario was at the scene and, according to Dedrek, the actress pinned him down so her mother could continue the alleged assault.

The police later responded to the location following the alleged argument and Dedrek was taken to emergency care. He received a restraining order against Rosario's mother and has filed a lawsuit against her, the actress, Rosario's stepfather, and an uncle. They're accused of "assault, battery, trespass, discrimination, [and] civil rights and labor violations." This won't bode well on the Democratic campaign trail.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming the Co-Head of Original Content. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, and Amy Luciani—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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