Rapper Ja Rule pleaded guilty to assault and was fined C$1,500 ($1,219) by a Canadian court for delivering “one punch to the eye” of a nightclub patron last year, his lawyer said on Monday.
The rapper, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, had been facing a more serious charge of assault causing bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty to that charge.
The rapper, who has had a string of hits in recent years including duets with Jennifer Lopez and Ashanti, was making a film in Toronto when the incident occurred last June.
“He felt sorry for what he had done,” his lawyer Steven Skurka said. “The judge found the conduct of the patrons at the club unacceptable and called it disgraceful.
“They had been taunting him earlier before the assault took place.... It was one punch to the eye of the victim who he believed was insulting him.”
Famous for his gruff voice, Ja Rule, 29, was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2002 and has made a handful of film appearances including “Scary Movie 3” and “The Fast and the Furious” in 2001.