Drake Sued over 2014 OVO Afterparty Altercation

Photo: Jenn McInnis

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Aug 24, 2015

Between his beef with Meek Mill, a Degrassi reunion and his annual OVO Fest, Toronto rapper Drake has had quite the eventful summer — but it has since been marred by a shooting at the official OVO Fest afterparty that left two dead. Drake eventually broke his silence about the tragedy in a letter condemning violence in the city, but now another violent incident is making its way into the spotlight.
 
An experienced autograph seeker named Pedro Sacadura has filed a lawsuit against Drake for an altercation that took place at last year's OVO Fest afterparty. The 2014 event, like this year's, was hosted at Muzik nightclub, where Sacadura attempted to get an autograph from the rapper.
 
In the statement of claim to the Ontario Superior Court [via the Toronto Star], the autograph hunter claims he was waiting for Drake behind a metal barricade outside the club when a member of Drake's security detail made a derogatory statement towards his friend and was "being rude to the fans in general." Sacadura voiced his dissatisfaction, and the guard responded by picking up and swinging a post from the metal barrier, "hitting the legs of both him and his friend and nearly knocking them over."
 
Sacadura is seeking $100,000 for personal injury damages, citing cuts on his chin and a fractured leg. He has some video footage of the incident, though the alleged assault with the metal barricade is not captured. The lawsuit names Muzik Club, Hypnotic Clubs Ltd., Drake and five unnamed Drake associates.
 
When Drake's SUV pulled around to the front of the club, Sacadura says he reached out from behind the metal separator and asked the rapper to sign a record. The security guard allegedly "backhanded" his arm, and Sacadura responded by throwing the cardboard sleeve of the album at him. At this point, Sacadura began filming the incident, capturing a man in a white shirt holding Sacadura while another man in a ballcap jumped the barricade and punched him in the stomach. The autograph seeker and record sleeve thrower does not appear to fight back, and the men left after a woman is heard yelling "Stop it!"
 
Sacadura says his complaints to Muzik security guards were met with a response of "Buddy, you assaulted him first." He was taken to hospital, and informed by police officers that he could be charged for assault with a weapon for throwing the sleeve.
 
The plaintiff told the Star that he has no history of violence and noted that while having your arm pushed back in autograph-seeking situations is normal, "never have I reacted aggressively."
 
Sacadura attended this year's OVO Fest afterparty as well, but abandoned a plan to protest "thuggish behaviour" with a megaphone. He and a friend fled the grounds when the shooting broke out.
 
Watch what he captured of the 2014 altercation in the video below.

Neither Drake nor his representatives have responded to the lawsuit as of press time. 
 

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