Seven officers of the Adams County Sheriff’s Department in Ohio, who raided Afroman’s home last year, are now suing him for invasion of their privacy over footage he took of them during the raid.
Four deputies, two sergeants, and a detective claim that Afroman, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, took footage of their faces during the raid and used it in music videos and social media posts without their consent — a misdemeanor under Ohio state law.
The officers are also suing on civil grounds with claims that Foreman’s use of their likeness in videos and social media posts result in their “emotional distress, embarrassment, ridicule, loss of reputation, and humiliation,” asking for an injunction to take down all videos and posts containing their likeness.
Additionally, the plaintiffs say they’re entitled to all of Foreman’s profits from his use of their likeness. These profits include “proceeds from the songs, music videos, and live event tickets,” as well as the promotion of the Afroman brand, under which he sells beer, cannabis, and merchandise.
Cincinnati attorney Robert Klingler filed the lawsuit in Adams County Common Pleas Court on March 13, naming Foreman, his recording firm, and a Texas-based media distribution company in the suit. Notably, not every officer involved in the raid is listed as a plaintiff in the filing.
On March 22, Foreman took to Instagram with promises to countersue “for the undeniable damage this had on my clients, family, career, and property.”
The Adams County sheriff’s office conducted the armed raid of Foreman’s home last August, acting on a warrant that claimed probable cause existed that drugs and paraphernalia would be found on the premises and that trafficking and kidnapping had taken place. The suspicions were unfounded, and no charges were filed.
“They come up here with AR-15s, traumatize my kids, destroy my property, kick in my door, rip up and destroy my camera system,” Foreman said in August.
In the months following the raid, Afroman released two songs related to the incident: “Lemon Pound Cake” and “Will You Help Me Repair My Door,” with accompanying music videos using footage of the raid from his home surveillance cameras and his wife’s cell phone.
The complaint states Foreman “created dozens of videos and images of Plaintiffs’ personas and posted them on various social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram.” Specifically, the filing cites seven Instagram posts, which have since been deleted, that allegedly showed “conscious or reckless disregard” for their rights.
