Fabolous has been indicted by a New Jersey grand jury for allegedly assaulting his longtime girlfriend and former Love & Hip Hop star Emily Bustamante.
TMZ reports that the rapper is facing four felony charges, which include one count of “domestic violence with significant bodily injury, [two] counts of threatening to kill and [one] count of possession of a weapon…a pair of scissors.”
Back in March, TMZ published a video of a tense encounter between Fabolous, whose birth name is John David Jackson, Bustamante. and her father. In the video, the two men are seen arguing while Fabulous holds a pair of scissors and threatens to shoot the older man. The confrontation reportedly occurred three weeks after Bustamante accused Fabolous, the father of her two sons, of punching her several times and knocking two of her teeth out.
While Bustamante was later seen with Fabolous after the alleged incident, that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.
Abuse victims often return to their abuser after an attack, especially if they are dependent on them financially, emotionally, or are simply afraid. In fact, according to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “Domestic violence does not always end when the victim escapes the abuser, tries to terminate the relationship, and/or seeks help. Often, it intensifies because the abuser feels a loss of control over the victim. Abusers frequently continue to stalk, harass, threaten, and try to control the victim after the victim escapes.”
Moreover, attempting to leave an abusive relationship can be deadly. The NCADV reports, “The victim is often in the most danger directly following the escape of the relationship or when they seek help: 1/5 of homicide victims with restraining orders are murdered within two days of obtaining the order; 1/3 are murdered within the first month.”
The current state of Fabolous and Bustamante’s relationship is unclear, but he has denied the abuse allegations. However, if he’s convicted on any of the indicted felonies, he could face up to five years in prison for each charge.
