Dr. Dre’s former divorce therapist sues mogul, alleging harassment, ‘homophobic’ threats
The next episode for Dr. Dre might be set in the courtroom.
The rapper and business mogul faces a $10-million lawsuit from his former divorce counselor, celebrity psychotherapist Dr. Charles Sophy, who claims in a Monday filing in Los Angeles County Superior Court that his ex-client subjected him to a “systematic and malicious campaign of harassment.â€
Sophy now “wears a bulletproof vest anytime he steps foot outside, is afraid to leave his home, and is constantly looking over his shoulder†after months of intimidation, according to court documents reviewed by The Times.
A legal representative for Young did not reply immediately Thursday to The Times’ request for comment.
Dr. Dre said he had three strokes after his 2021 hospitalization for a brain aneurysm: ‘It’s just something that you can’t control.’
In 2018, Sophy began offering marriage counseling to Dr. Dre, born Andre Young, and his now ex-wife, Nicole Young, who both consented to Sophy mediating the terms of their divorce, the Wednesday filing said. After working “diligently, independently, and fairly to help Young and his ex-wife resolve their disputes,†Sophy ceased contact with the couple in 2021 — when their divorce was finalized.
“Fourteen months later, and suddenly, without warning, Young launched a sustained campaign of abusive messages, late-night reminders that he would not ‘forget’ Dr. Sophy, and homophobic slurs,†the lawsuit said, adding that Young took out his frustration at the outcome of the mediation on Sophy.
Included in the filing are nearly a dozen texts Young sent Sophy from February to August 2023, several of which the Beverly Hills psychiatrist alleges contain “homophobic rhetoric†(e.g., ‘You’re a b—’). In the messages, Young tells Sophy he’s “going to have to pay†and that he’s “f— with the wrong one.â€
Sophy said in the filing that once, early on, he attempted to defuse the situation by replying calmly that although he wasn’t sure what Young was referring to, he would gladly schedule a time to discuss the matter. But, according to the court document, the “What’s the Difference†rapper only “doubled down, further threatening [Sophy].â€
The Iovine and Young Center will open in summer 2025 for ninth-grade students and expand to the 12th grade by 2028.
As the messages kept coming, Sophy grew disturbed, the filing said, knowing that given Young’s “well-documented history of violence and abuse†and high-profile status, he could feasibly follow through on any given threat, “causing physical harm, violence, or death to Dr. Sophy.†(Young previously became mired in controversy when the 2015 N.W.A biopic “Straight Outta Compton†glossed over his prior history of violence against women.)
Once, Young’s threats did materialize, when he allegedly recruited several associates to impersonate FBI agents in order to gain unlawful entry into Sophy’s home within a gated community, the lawsuit said. The former medical director for the Department of Children and Family Services subsequently resorted to “extreme†safety measures — installing home cameras, hiring private security and wearing bulletproof apparel — and has since felt “forced into†litigation, the suit said.
Sophy is suing Young for civil harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress and has demanded a jury trial. He is seeking $10 million in actual and compensatory damages as well as exemplary and punitive damages to be decided at trial.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
