Damon Dash was just handed a major loss in court in his long-running battle with director Josh Webber over the film Dear Frank.
Judge John F. Walter didn’t hold back and slammed Dash for repeatedly ignoring court orders, stripping his legal response from the record and setting him up for a default judgment.
The legal drama stems from a years-long fight over the movie, which Dash initially worked on but was later removed from due to allegations of unprofessional behavior on set.
Despite his ousting, Dash continued to promote the film as his own, even trying to sell it under the title “The List.”
Webber and production company Muddy Water Pictures weren’t having it, so they sued him for copyright infringement and defamation in 2019. In 2022, a jury ordered Dash to cough up $805,000 in damages.
In the latest update, Judge Walter accused Dash of failing to follow basic courtroom procedures, including skipping out on filing key legal documents, dodging court-ordered mediation and flat-out ignoring deadlines.
The ruling makes it clear: Dash had plenty of warnings, but his refusal to participate in the case left the court no choice but to enter a default against him.
That opens the door for Webber and his team to ask for damages, likely much more than the original $805,000 when factoring in interest and lawyer fees.
The judge has given Webber until March 3 to submit proof of damages, meaning Dash could be on the hook for a massive payout.
If that wasn’t enough, earlier this week, author Edwyna Brooks sued him for allegedly hiding assets to avoid paying another $100,000 judgment in a separate case.
Last year, a court forced him to sell his one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella Records to help pay off his debts, including an $8.7 million tax bill, but the sale only fetched a little over $1 million.