Marvin Gaye III, the eldest son of the Motown legend, has been accused of assault, battery and false imprisonment.
As reported by Us Weekly, a lawsuit was filed against Gaye in Los Angeles on December 26 in which a woman referred to only as Jane Doe claims she was called to Gaye’s home in January 2023 to mediate an argument between Gaye and his then-wife Wendy.
Court documents state that the situation “escalated into a series of violent and threatening acts perpetrated by [Gaye] including physical assault, verbal threats of death and the retrieval of a firearm, which he pointed at [the alleged victim] and his wife, while threatening their lives.”
Gaye has denied the allegations, saying: “No way did that happen. It’s all bullshit. I wouldn’t do that. These are false claims.”
He added that he believes he knows who the accuser is and claims she is “trying to extort money from me”.
Jane Doe further asserts that Gaye, 59, grabbed her by her arms, shook her and stepped on her foot, before pointing a gun and her and Wendy and threatening to kill them both.
The accuser describes his behaviour as “dangerous”, “extreme, outrageous and beyond the bounds of decency”.
Gaye is also accused of “acts of intimidation”, including “tampering with [her] vehicle by cutting the brakes and arranging for his associates to surveil [her] home.”
The woman is suing for an undisclosed amount of damages, attorney fees and a restraining order, and claims she has suffered severe emotional distress including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia and weight loss between 24 and 30 pounds.
Gaye is the adopted son of Marvin Gaye and his first wife Anna Gordy, while his biological mother is Denise Gordy, Anna’s niece. He became the co-executor of his father’s estate at the age of 18 in 1984.
