November 13, 2008

Suge Knight Sues Kanye West Over Lost Earring, Shooting

By Gil Kaufman (MTV.com)

Times are tough for Death Row Records co-founder Marion "Suge" Knight. The once high-flying gangsta-rap impresario recently filed for bankruptcy, and this summer, he had to sit idly by while his company's assets were sold at auction.

Now, TMZ is reporting that as part of his October 30 bankruptcy filing, Knight is blaming Kanye West for the loss of a beloved 15-carat diamond stud earring that was stolen from him three years ago. According to a lawsuit filed by Knight against West and some of his partners on September 12, the label boss blames 'Ye for allowing someone to smuggle a gun past security at the rapper's 2005 pre-VMA party in Miami, the same party where some unknown person shot Knight in the leg.

"It was reasonably foreseeable to defendants that the party would present a dangerous environment with the possibility of weapons (including firearms) being used by or against party guests given the well-known feuds that have at times pitched East Coast rap and hip-hop stars against West Coast rap and hip-hop stars, some of whom would be attending the party with their associates," the suit reads, adding that "certain hip-hop artists who were invited to the party ... were known not to be friendly to Mr. Knight."

During the scuffle, Knight - who says he attended the party with a "false sense of security" - claims someone shot him in the upper right leg, shattering his bone and requiring surgery, months of physical therapy and continued mental pain and suffering and loss of income. He also says that he lost a $135,000 diamond stud earring, which was retrieved by someone who identified himself as an employee, and who assured Knight the earring would be returned, though it was not. Knight believes the person worked for West or one of the other defendants in the suit.

Knight requests that the earring either be returned or replaced, as he has been "deprived of the use and enjoyment of the earring" since the August 2005 incident.

A spokesperson for West could not be reached for comment at press time.