Sexyy Red could be facing a $5 million judgment in a lawsuit brought by the grandmother of one of her children, but the money has not been awarded.
Nicole Barnes is asking a judge to enter a default judgment after claiming the rapper failed to respond to the case, according to new court documents obtained by TMZ. Barnes sued Sexyy Red in March 2025 over allegations that the rapper posted her home address online and encouraged followers to attack her.
Barnes says ordinary efforts to serve the lawsuit were unsuccessful and that she later served Sexyy Red through publication in a newspaper. She now argues that the lack of a response entitles her to a default judgment for $5 million.
Sexyy Red is disputing the underlying case. Her attorney Jason Lampert told TMZ that the claims are “baseless and completely without merit” and said the rapper categorically denies the allegations and intends to defend herself. The judge has not yet ruled on Barnes’ request.
The Lawsuit Centers on an Alleged December 2024 Facebook Post
Barnes filed the lawsuit on March 24, 2025, after an alleged social-media incident the previous December. The complaint alleges that Sexyy Red, whose legal name is Janae Wherry, posted Barnes’ Hazelwood, Missouri, address and a photograph of her home on Facebook before encouraging her followers to “kick in the door” and harm her.
First Alert 4 reported those allegations when the case was filed. Barnes’ attorney, Steven Weaver, said his client had become caught up in a dispute involving Sexyy Red and the father of one of her children even though Barnes herself was not part of their disagreement. The Shade Room said its own search did not locate the post.
Barnes Says She Moved From Her Home and Began Therapy
Barnes alleges that the consequences continued after the purported posts disappeared from public view. She says she and members of her family left the Hazelwood property because they feared for their safety. Barnes also claims she filed a police report and later struggled to find comparable housing she could afford.
The complaint says the experience left her living in continuing fear and that she began therapy for emotional distress. Her claims include assault and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
TMZ’s original report similarly described Barnes’ claims that she relocated for safety reasons and sought treatment because of the stress.
Lampert told TMZ, “The claims asserted in this case are baseless and completely without merit.” He added that Red “categorically denies these allegations and looks forward to defending herself in court.”
Days Before the Lawsuit, Sexyy Red Said She Felt ‘Most Hated’
Just days before Barnes filed the lawsuit, Sexyy Red was publicly discussing another side of her relationship with social media. During a March 21, 2025 appearance on Big Boy’s Neighborhood, she said she felt like the “most hated female rapper” and questioned whether some of the negative comments she received online were being encouraged by people behind the scenes.