The woman allegedly shot by Remy Ma has upped the lawsuit from $20 million to $80 million. Makeda Barnes-Joseph, who was left critically wounded from the shooting outside a New York nightclub last July, filed the original suit in New York in December 2007, accusing Remy Ma of "wilfully, wantonly and maliciously" shooting her.
Barnes-Joseph was shot twice in the abdomen on July 14, after leaving a party in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. Authorities said the shooting occurred after Remy Ma accused Barnes-Joseph of taking $2,000 that was missing from her purse.
When she did not release it, Barnes-Joseph was shot in the stomach and abdomen by the rapper, who then searched the purse while Barnes-Joseph bled, the lawsuit said. Finding nothing, she tossed the purse and contents aside and left without summoning medical assistance.
The lawsuit says the shooting left her disabled, anxious and depressed. The suit also named as defendants Universal Music Group, and individuals who play important roles in Remy Ma's career, because they should have known she "had a history of unlawful, violent and anti-social behavior."
The shooting victim has now increased her claim for damages - a move Smith's lawyer dismisses as a b bid for attention.
The hip-hop star's attorney, Ivan Fischer, says the lawsuit "appears to be a publicity stunt consistent with the way Ms. Barnes and her lawyer have, together with their publicist, been attempting to claim 15 minutes of fame on account of a terrible accident."
Remy Ma, 26, is currently awaiting trial on charges of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, gang assault and witness intimidation in relation to the incident. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is due in court on January 22.
