Nas’ Baby Mama Carmen Bryan Sues N.O.R.E., Accuses Rapper of 1999 Sexual Assault

Hip-hop veteran N.O.R.E., whose real name is Victor Santiago, is facing a civil lawsuit from entrepreneur Carmen Bryan, who alleges that the rapper sexually assaulted her at a Manhattan nightclub in 1999.

According to a lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone, Bryan claims Santiago approached her while visibly intoxicated during a promotional event for his upcoming album and allegedly forced unwanted sexual contact on her despite her pleas to stop. The complaint alleges that other clubgoers eventually intervened and pulled Santiago away.

Bryan says she left the club crying and was allegedly followed outside by Santiago, who continued making crude remarks. According to the lawsuit, Santiago later recognized Bryan as Nas’ partner and apologized, allegedly saying, “I didn’t know it was you.”

The complaint states that Santiago apologized again weeks later at a joint birthday and Father’s Day celebration for Bryan and Nas’ daughter. Bryan maintains that the alleged assault was not consensual and that Santiago’s explanation only highlighted that he understood he had crossed a line.

Bryan says she remained publicly silent for more than 25 years, citing the sexism and misogyny she says were prevalent within the hip-hop industry during the 1990s. She also alleges that she told Jay-Z about the incident at the time and that he offered to confront Santiago, but she asked him not to escalate the situation.

According to court documents, Bryan decided to pursue legal action after reading Casandra “Cassie” Ventura’s 2023 lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, saying it triggered traumatic memories of the alleged incident.

Bryan is suing Santiago under New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act and is seeking compensatory damages, including damages for emotional distress and mental anguish. N.O.R.E.’s representative had not immediately responded to Rolling Stone’s request for comment at the time of its report.