A video of Busta Rhymes throwing his drink at a woman who touched his butt has gone viral on social media.
In the video, which began making the internet rounds on Tuesday, the veteran rapper can be seen walking with a group as a woman approaches him from behind and taps him on the rear. Rhymes instantly turns around and tosses his beverage, spraying the woman who invaded his personal space — and anyone else in the splash zone.
The Shade Room later identified the woman in the video as Nikita Mathis, owner of Platinum Plus Fashions Boutique, and reported that the incident occurred shortly after the “Break Ya Neck” hitmaker spoke at the Magic apparel trade show in Las Vegas on Monday night. In a statement to the celebrity news outlet, Mathis claimed she “didn’t mean to touch his behind honestly.”
“I was just happy to meet him and wanted a pic,” she said. “Been a longtime fan. I admit I shouldn’t have [touched] him at all but he’s BUSTA. I felt like I could possibly get a pic.”
A representative for Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor George Smith Jr., did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times’ request for comment.
On Twitter, many defended Rhymes and shamed Mathis for touching the musician without his consent. Several accused Mathis of sexually harassing or sexually assaulting Rhymes.
“Good,” tweeted @SupremeBrina. “Don’t touch people without consent. Some women think that s— don’t apply to them.”
“He Has Every Right,” tweeted @ZeeDiorX5. “She Sexually Harassed Him ! & He Reacted In A Self Defense Way. Splash Of Holy Water Unuh !”
“I’m shaking rn can’t believe she touched him like that,” tweeted @disaintmelmao. “I hope he sues her.”
The video surfaced less than two weeks after Rhymes participated in an acclaimed, nostalgic performance celebrating 50 years of hip-hop at the 2023 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Rhymes was a standout performer during the tribute medley, which also featured Black Thought, Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Salt-N-Pepa, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott and other titans of the musical genre.
“There are very few moments in life when you wake up the next day, and you realize your reality wasn’t just a dream, that it was a real space, real people, real emotions. It’s been challenging to not shed tears; when I get to have a moment to myself, I’m going to shed some tears of joy,” Rhymes told The Times after the show.
“This thing, hip-hop, gave birth to everything about me, how I’ve been blessed to provide for family, all the way down to the ways I think and speak. To have a direct impact on the world with my little contribution — this was a milestone moment of culture.”