Rapper Azealia Banks Trying to fund lawsuit defense with GoFundMe

Rapper Azealia Banks, who is Black, is know to have put her foot in her mouth on several occasions, often feuding with other rappers and entertainers. But recently a feud with actor Russell Crowe (who is white) has her “panning” for money via a GoFundMe campaign. According to IndieWire, the campaign to raise money is for her lawsuit against Crowe over an incident where Banks alleges the actor choked and spat on her. She claims he also used the n-word while she was attending a party in his hotel suite in Los Angeles back in 2016. Banks filed a police report; however, no charges were filed against Crowe. Banks first revealed Crowe’s alleged violent behavior in a social media post published October 2016. She said “the men in the room allowed it to happen.” TMZ looked into Banks’ accusation and reported “multiple witnesses” did not corroborate her story. The witnesses said Banks instigated a fight with Crowe and threatened him. When the L.A. County district attorney’s office didn’t charge Crowe, it cited Crowe’s actions were “justified to prevent the imminent violence threatened by Banks,” reports Vulture. Banks’ GoFundMe statement maintains the allegations against Crowe and accuses him of having a group of people “gaslight” her to make it appear as if the incident was her fault. She says Crowe’s harassment and the cover-up had “irreparable damage” to her acting career and her “reputation.”  She wrote, “This isn’t about a big pay day for me. It’s about letting the world know that Black women are victims to the same sort of disgusting violence men in Hollywood deal out to women and it’s important to send a message that Black women also deserve justice and will get justice in these situations.” Banks claims Crowe would not have laid a finger on her if she was a “white singer.” “So many things like this happen in the entertainment industry and it’s time that ALL these perpetrators get reprimanded so they STOP this violent behavior,” she wrote. As of June 29, the GoFundMe page for Banks has raised about $2,000 toward her $100,000 goal. Crowe has not publicly responded to Banks’ accusations or the lawsuit.