N.O.R.E. is facing a sexual assault lawsuit from Carmen Bryan, who alleges the rapper attacked her inside a crowded Manhattan nightclub in 1999.
Bryan filed the complaint on Wednesday in New York, accusing N.O.R.E., whose real name is Victor Santiago, of forcing himself on her while he was promoting his album Melvin Flynt – Da Hustler, according to court documents obtained by Rolling Stone.
The lawsuit alleges N.O.R.E. was “visibly intoxicated” when he approached Bryan and committed an act of nonconsensual sexual penetration. Bryan claims he ignored her pleas to stop and had to be pulled away by other people in the club.
She alleges that she fled outside crying before N.O.R.E. followed her and repeatedly asked, “Don’t you know who I am?”
According to the complaint, N.O.R.E. then recognized Bryan, who shares a daughter with Nas, and apologized.
“Carm, I didn’t know it was you,” he allegedly told her. “You’re always doing something different with your hair.”
Bryan’s attorneys, Marjorie Mesidor and Heather Palmore, said in a statement, “No woman signs up to be assaulted.” She also claims she stayed publicly silent for more than 25 years but later disclosed the alleged incident to Jay-Z.
She is seeking damages under New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act.
