Azealia Banks is ready to take her Twitter beef with Matty Healy from the court of public opinion to the court system, but she’s giving him a chance to settle things amicably first.
After trading barbs on X (formerly Twitter) last week, the rapper shared the cease and desist letter her legal team issued the 1975 singer over the weekend — and she wants an apology and $1 million in damages due to his “racial epithets” and “threats of violence.”
“Your attacks against my client’s professional reputation, your overt racial epithets and your most recent threats of physical violence against my client have been well-documented since you published them worldwide online (my client saved screenshots prior to you deleting your posts), and your attacks have now been published in numerous press articles throughout the world,” the Saturday letter stated. “Moreover, your removal of the damaging attack posts (under your online pseudonym ‘Truman Black’) and your acknowledgement that your reaction was inappropriate does not undo the damage, but rather constitutes evidence of an admission of guilt by you.”
The cease and desist letter she shared on X on Sunday came after the pair of controversial musicians went back-and-forth on the social media platform the week prior. Healy indeed deleted the messages in question, admitting he shouldn’t be arguing with a person like Banks.
According to media reports, the singer accused the rapper of being jealous of her fellow female artists after she shamed Charli XCX. Healy then doubled-down in follow-up tweets, saying he would “f—ing slap you so hard I’ll get a Guinness world record for the highest a rat some bitch calls a wig has ever flown.”
Someone appearing to be Healy via his Truman Black alias subsequently apologized on Reddit on Thursday: “What a bad day, I really let myself down. I have worked so hard to move past these impulsive self-destructive and honestly quite volatile outbursts I have. I’m constantly making trouble for myself for no reason, I come back to social media after depressive episodes (which is NOT an excuse) because I often become sober, so as an addict when I’m not using I pick up social media my new way of ‘consuming’ and changing how I feel. I just feel dreadful about how I acted violent – I think Azealia and all obvious flawed people all deep down have a heart and I hate that I have contributed to her mental fragility. She’s a human.”
Still, that apparent apology did not prove adequate, per Banks’ letter.
“Although you do not know my client personally and my client does not know you, you acted intentionally with the specific purpose of causing my client to be shocked, distressed and emotionally injured with your assaults by threat of imminent physical harm,” her message alleged. “Your overt racial epithets (e.g., calling her a ‘rat’) and repeated threats of violence against my client constitute cyber harassment and cyber bullying and violate various Federal and state laws.”
“Your threats of violence have caused my client extreme emotional distress,” her lawyer continued. “Due to your significant influence as a public figure, you have a duty to avoid reckless statements which have now raised serious concern that your followers may be incited to act upon your posts and commit and act of violence against my client.”
Banks’ team also accused Healy of “slander, libel and business defamation” as well as tortious interference for potential damage to her rap career. The letter concluded, “Your repetitive wrongful, bad faith and malicious actions have seriously damaged and will continue to damage my client.”
However, if the pair cannot come to a quick resolution, Banks’ lawyer noted she is prepared to take Healy to court.
