A former hype man for Fat Joe and his lawyer say they’re too scared to show up in person for the rap star’s lawsuit, claiming threats have them dodging court and pushing for Zoom instead.
Attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn says he and his client, Terrance “T.A.” Dixon, will only do depositions remotely because of what he calls “endless death threats and harassment” that he blames on Fat Joe and his alleged “thugs” and “goons.”
“Mr. Dixon has received endless death threats and harassment from [Fat Joe] and [Fat Joe’s] thugs and goons. These threats are very serious, and Mr. Dixon and I have taken many steps to ensure his
safety.”
Blackburn claims Dixon is getting hit with disturbing Instagram messages, including one that allegedly shows Dixon’s elderly grandmother walking out of her building alone.
He says other messages carry lines like “You Food we gonna eat” and “Im giving a buck 50 thats my word,” street language he frames as serious threats, not just online trolling.
According to Joe’s suit, filed in 2025, Blackburn tried to muscle him for millions by spreading what the rapper calls “disgusting lies,” including that he abused Dixon for years and paid for sex with minors.
Joe says they went public with the allegations in interviews, social posts and podcasts when he wouldn’t pay up and he insists the stories are completely false and meant to smear his name.
In that lawsuit, he claims Fat Joe forced him into more than 4,000 sex acts over 16 years, stiffed him on pay and royalties.
Joe has flatly denied everything, calling the filing retaliation and another move in what he says is a calculated shakedown.
Blackburn told the judge there’s no way it’s safe for him or Dixon to sit for in‑person questioning in New York, and says they’ll only appear by video.
The court hasn’t ruled yet on whether the depositions will go down on Zoom or in person, but for now, both sides are locked in a messy, high‑stakes back‑and‑forth that mixes court filings with some very ugly allegations and claims of real‑world danger.