DJ Olivia Dope accuses Joe Budden of sexual harassment during podcast
“I am here today, still uncomfortable, but I find the bravery to speak out on a very embarrassing situation,” Olivia said, looking directly at the camera
More accusations are being thrown in the direction of Joe Budden after a former host of the Joe Budden Network “See, The Thing Is…’ podcast came forward with sexual harassment accusations regarding the former rapper. In a video released on Sunday, DJ Olivia Dope said she left the show due to Budden’s behavior, reported by Complex.
“I am doing this video today to finally explain my departure from the ‘See ,The Thing Is…’ podcast as well as the Joe Budden Network. I sat with this for three months, anxiously debating with myself if I feel comfortable enough to express my reasoning for my departure,” said the young woman on a video posted to Instagram.
“I am here today, still uncomfortable, but I find the bravery to speak out on a very embarrassing situation,” Olivia said, looking directly at the camera. “On Jan. 18, 2021, Joe Budden sat in on a recording of the female-led podcast I was a part of and continuously made sexual, suggestive remarks to me that made me extremely uncomfortable as well as fearful of dampening the mood if I didn’t laugh along while he made those sexual remarks to me. Those moments not only live on the internet forever, it also forced me into the decision of quitting the podcast.”
Read More: Joe Budden fires podcast co-hosts, dares them to take legal action
In the twenty six-minute-video, she goes on to say that she is speaking out so the public is well aware of Budden’s behavior.
“There’s an editing in the recording because Joe says him and I should speak more because he ‘been wanted to fuck me since we’ve met,'” she recalls the specific occasion and also provides timestamps of the abuse. “Everyone in the studio laughs uncomfortably while one of my co-hosts confirmed that to be true. I am mortified by this revelation not only because it was done in front of the entire production staff, but it was done while we were recording audio as well as visual.”
Dope also mentions that while filming, they shared an embrace, but Budden moved his hips in grinding motion. A clip of the video has since been circulated on social media. One user posted the clip with a tweet reading, “When Olivia Dope said during the hug Joe Budden asked for, he was moving his hips I had to go see for myself.. and what the f**k. This is at the end of the podcast after making sexual comments about her throughout the episode. This is her boss??? I’d quit too.”
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Bridget Kelly and Mandii B host the “See, The Thing Is…” podcast, which airs every Tuesday. The two women talk all things pop culture, and the show is described as “opinionated & informative with a taste of toxic.”
Supporters rushed to Dope’s page to say they are proud of her for speaking up.
“All of those quotes you shared are big time wild talk. In this era, in all eras. The added misfortune is that what’s audacious to us is normal to others smh,” wrote fellow media personality Tracy G of Sway In The Morning. She continued:
“I’m incredibly proud of you. I know this was not a video you were excited in the slightest to record let alone share. I’ve noticed, experienced, and called out for too many years in the entertainment industry particularly, that for plenty of men, their main attempt at “joking” / “bonding” with women involves sexualizing women. Women they don’t even have a slight contextual relationship with smh. Like, bruh… and I there have certainly been times where it just felt like aight this is already uncomfortable maybe if I just shut up this whole shit will end sooner vs let me ruffle feathers and now experience even more discomfort. I get it. There’s a deep healing needed on BOTH sides. The objectified and the objectified…”
Necole Kane of HelloNecole wrote in the video’s comments, “In the era of #metoo! It’s baffling that men in the entertainment industry, especially Hip Hop still feel entitled to making comments like these. Like sir, have some tact and respect. It’s awful and there is no accountability because the moment a black woman speaks up, she’s accused of trying to bring a brotha down. And let’s not talk about how sharing truth can affect someone mentally, their stability financially etc.”
She added: “This was very brave of you. I stand with you. Sending you so much love during this time. Much respect for being a good example for your daughter and other women coming up in the industry behind you. ❤️”
These accusations come days after Budden ended and fired fellow co-hosts of his own podcast, Joe Budden Podcast.
As reported by theGrio, after a fury of tweets and behind the scenes drama surfaced, fans speculated the team was crumbling for quite some time.
“From this point forward, you are fired and you’re not welcome back,” said Budden, 40, about his ex-podcast partners during the since-deleted episode, per New York Post. “Y’all take that f–king dark energy, that arrogance and that entitlement somewhere else.”
Rory Farrell and Mal Clay disappeared from the bi-weekly podcast during which the men would discuss all things popular culture, first airing in 2015. During their absence, the men were replaced with two of Budden’s other friends.
theGrio reached out to Joe Budden’s team but did not hear back before this story was published.
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