Carmen Bryan has accused N.O.R.E. of sexual assault.
According to a lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone, the New York-based rapper allegedly forced himself on her at a crowded nightclub in 1999.
In the filing, Bryan, who is an author and entrepreneur, contends that the “pervasive sexism, sexual objectification and misogynoir” embedded in 1990s hip-hop culture led her to remain silent for more than a quarter of a century.
The incident is said to have taken place at a Manhattan club in May 1999, where N.O.R.E., whose real name is Victor Santiago, was promoting an upcoming album. In front of Bryan’s friends, a “visibly intoxicated” Santiago allegedly approached Bryan and “committed an act of nonconsensual digital penetration,” the suit claims.
Bryan fled the club, only to be followed outside by Santiago, who then recognized her as Nas’s partner and immediately apologized.
“Carm, I didn’t know it was you. You’re always doing something different with your hair,” Santiago reportedly said, according to court documents.
Bryan states she told Jay-Z, a trusted confidant with whom she had a long-standing on-off relationship, about the alleged assault.
She decided to pursue civil action against Santiago after reading Casandra Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit accusing Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs of domestic violence and sex trafficking.
Bryan dated Nas in the 1990s, and the two share a daughter, Destiny Jones, who was born in 1994.
She is the author of the 2006 best-selling memoir It’s No Secret: A Memoir, in which she recounts her experiences within hip-hop culture.
