ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 19: Drake performs during Wicked (Spelhouse Homecoming Concert) Featuring 21 Savage at Forbes Arena at Morehouse College on October 19, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
Drake has received a court order this week in connection to the XXXtentacion murder trial, to either sit for a deposition or appear in court, legal filings read.
The order comes from Mauricio Padilla, the defense attorney for Dedrick Williams, one of the three suspects on trial. Mauricio believes that the OVO rapper is connected to the death of XXXtentacion due to a 2017 beef between the two stars.
According to a court document obtained by Rolling Stone, Drake failed to appear for his scheduled deposition on Jan. 27 and is now being ordered to appear for a deposition on Feb. 24 via Zoom.
If he fails to appear again, the court can determine why he should not be held in contempt.
“If deponent Aubrey Drake Graham does not appear to deposition he must appear before this court on Monday Feb. 27, 2023 at 10 a.m. EST at so [sic] the court can determine why he should not be held in contempt,” legal documents read.
Prosecutors have never once claimed that Drake (or Aubrey Graham) was involved in XXXTentacion’s death, and dismissed any connection between the former and the and latter’s death, The Shade Room reported earlier this week.
And one of the co-defendants accused of robbing and fatally shooting rapper XXXTentacion denied being hired by anyone to kill XXX after taking the stand during trial this week, according to Law & Crime.
On Wednesday, Robert Allen, who turned state’s witness, told the court that the group had not been hired by anyone to kill XXXTentacion, after one of their defense attorneys tried to claim Drake had hired them to kill XXX, The Shade Room reported earlier this week.
The two artists had been feuding at the time of latter’s death, spurring speculation that Drake hired them to kill his rap rival.
And casting more suspicion is a the fact that XXX, real name Jahseh Onfroy, stated on social media in Feb. 2018 that if he ever ended up dead, Drake would be the reason behind it.
Onfroy was killed just months after that post in June 2018.
“If anyone tries to kill me it was @champagnepapi [Drake’s Instagram handle]. I’m snitching right now.” Onfroy posted.before deleting, along with a few other incendiary posts.
However, he later retracted that bold statement and claimed his accounts were “hacked.”
Drake released “KMT” in March 2017. Onfroy “instantly believed Drake stole his song,” according to the filing.
“The cadence of the rap style and rhythm of the song is by all standards extremely similar and have caused many to believe that Graham did in fact steal important aspects of the song from Onfroy.”
And when Onfroy was released from jail, he attempted to escalate the beef by trolling Drake on social media.
Meanwhile, prosecutors had argued that the shooting was the result of a robbery gone wrong, and similarly discredited any claims linking Drake to the fatal shooting.
A rep for Drake declined to comment, the outlet reports.
Earlier this week, one of the four suspects in XXX’s murder, Robert Allen, told prosecutor Pascale Achille the amount of money he and his co-defendants received from robbing XXXTentacion Allen shared he received $5K Michael Boatwright the alleged shooter, received $15K.
Dedrick Williams, the accused getaway driver $15K, and Trayvon Newsome, who is accused of being the other gunman received $15K. As previously reported, the men are facing life sentences if convicted of first-degree murder.
Allen, who prosecutors say was in the SUV, pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder
XXX was ambushed after leaving the store in his BMW as Williams cut off the rapper’s sports car with his SUV, while Boatwright and Newsome rushed XXXTentacion’s car to rob him, prosecutor Pascale Achille said in court Tuesday.
Allen took a plea deal, which explains him testifying during the trial, Achille said during her opening statement.
The rapper was a platinum-selling rising star who’s music explored themes of prejudice and depression in his songs. However, XXX drew widespread criticism over multiple arrests, including allegations and arrests for severely beating up and abusing his girlfriend.
