Trey Songz found himself back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons after appearing in court over an alleged late-night nightclub blowup in New York City, which resulted in his arrest at the Dramma Night Club in Times Square earlier this month.
Prosecutors claimed the night (Dec.4) turned tense when Songz was told the club was closing. Things reportedly escalated fast, with authorities alleging the singer became angry and punched a club employee in the face. The worker allegedly suffered swelling and significant pain as a result of the confrontation, per the New York Post.
The 41-year-old performer, whose real name is Tremaine Aldon Neverson, is also facing a separate charge of second-degree mischief tied to another incident that reportedly happened earlier that same morning at a different location.
Songz’s attorney offered a sharply different version of events in court, insisting the singer was put in a hostile situation. According to defense attorney Mitchell Schuster, several individuals allegedly instigated the confrontation and attempted to surround the artist. Schuster said Songz’s security team stepped in to de-escalate the situation, which then spiraled into an altercation.
Songz is due back in court on Feb. 18.
The singer has previously been accused of assault in separate incidents, including a highly publicized 2016 case tied to a concert appearance in Detroit that resulted in probation. He has also been named in multiple civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, claims he has denied, with some cases later dropped or settled out of court.