Photo: energyy / iStock / Getty Images
Lake Worth, FL - Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine is seeking $1 million in damages from LA Fitness, alleging the gym failed to provide adequate security, which he claims allowed a violent attack on him at one of its Florida locations in 2023.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, names Fitness International LLC, the operator of LA Fitness, as the defendant.
It accuses the company of negligence in maintaining a safe environment at its Lake Worth gym, where the attack occurred on March 21, 2023.
Daniel Hernandez, known professionally as Tekashi 6ix9ine, was assaulted by three men in the gym's locker room.
Viral cellphone footage captured the shocking incident, showing the rapper on the floor as the men kicked and punched him.
Another video showed Hernandez reentering the gym after the attack, barefoot and bleeding from the face.
The lawsuit asserts that LA Fitness "knew or should have known" about the increased crime rates in the area and had a duty to implement "reasonable security measures" to protect patrons.
The filing highlights that the gym's location was in a region where violent crime had reportedly risen, making it incumbent on the business to take precautions.
Hernandez was hospitalized following the attack, which left him with multiple injuries.
According to the lawsuit, he suffered "bodily injury, pain and suffering, disability, humiliation, and loss of income and earning capacity."
The filing also notes that these losses may have long-term effects, both financially and physically, on the rapper's life.
Three men were arrested in connection with the assault, including a high-ranking member of the Latin Kings gang.
The rapper’s legal team is arguing that LA Fitness's failure to address security risks directly contributed to the incident and is seeking compensation for the physical and emotional damages Hernandez sustained.