Entertainment

Joe Budden Responds To Olivia Dope Sexual Harassment Allegations

Published

3 years ago

May 18, 2021

Joe Budden Issues Statement On Olivia Dope Sexual Harassment Claims

On Monday, Olivia Dope made scathing claims against Joe Budden, accusing her boss on the Joe Budden Network, of sexual harassment.

Olivia Dope, a popular tv and Internet personality was hired by Joe Budden to be a part of his podcast network. Olivia left Joe’s company earlier this year, and now she’s explaining why.

“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,” she said.

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 fuck. 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 pic.twitter.com/FS12BuiGVU

— astro tingz (@saturnbestie) May 17, 2021

Shortly after she made the claims, a video resurfaced of Budden giving Dope a hug during the recording, seemingly moving his hips during the embrace.

Well, Joe Budden has now issued a statement in response to the sexual harassment allegatlegations.

“As a podcaster, it is my job to address topics and create dialogue around them. During the conversation on the See, The Thing Is podcast I didn’t handle the topics with the sensitivity they deserved. I recognize my words and power in that situation created an upsetting environment for Olivia. Upon reflection, both the network and I take accountability for this. I apologize sincerely to Olivia, her former co-hosts, our staff, and the public.In an effort to not further any trauma, the episode will be removed from all platforms.

We support all women’s rights to feel comfortable and protected in the workplace. We fell short of that in this instance. We support Olivia in her quest to heal, applaud her for finding the strength to share her experience, and wish her the best in all her future endeavors. I am taking the time to listen and learn; we have already begun to make the necessary changes to ensure this is a safe environment for all moving forward. We at the network endeavor to continue to elevate Black women’s voices and create opportunities to have constructive conversations to impact change.”