One can't imagine how difficult recent years have been for Lashawnda Woodard. While watching her son Lil Durk become one of Chicago's biggest Rap stars, she has also witnessed a staggering amount of loss. In 2021, Durk's older brother, Dontay “DThang” Banks Jr., was shot and killed outside a suburban Chicago nightclub. It was a tragedy that devastated the family and added to the long list of loved ones the rapper has mourned publicly throughout his career.
Today, Woodard faces another painful chapter as her son remains behind bars awaiting trial on federal murder-for-hire charges. Durk has been locked up since October 2024 after prosecutors accused him of involvement in a plot connected to the 2022 killing of Saviay'a “Lul Pab” Robinson, the cousin of rapper Quando Rondo. He has pleaded not guilty and continues fighting the charges. For a mother who has already buried one son, the uncertainty surrounding Lil Durk's future adds another layer of heartbreak. During a recent sitdown with the Victim or Villain podcast, she gave updates on how she's maintained throughout this ordeal.
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"It's like I lost another child," Woodard began. "It hurts. It hurts, like—I couldn't believe it. And, I knew something [was wrong] because I kept calling his phone, and he don't answer. And then I called his sisters, 'Have you heard from him?' They like, nah. I text him but...so, finally I got the call. And I'm like, 'Oh my god.'" She added that it was Durk who rang her line to inform her about his legal situation.
At the time, the rapper was in Florida, and Woodard said that it took a "couple of days" for her Durk to call her. The host went on to call Durk one of the kindest celebrities she's ever met. She also said that he loves his kids and cares about giving back to the community that raised him.
"Every time I talk to him, it's never serious. So, he's doing pretty good," Woodard replied. When asked if Durk cut off his locs, his mother confirmed that "he did." Check out the full episode of Lashawnda Woodard on the Victim or Villain podcast below.
