A stabbing case that began six years ago has produced a massive financial judgment against Iyanna “Yaya” Mayweather, with Lapattra Jacobs reportedly awarded more than $50 million over injuries she suffered during the 2020 confrontation. According to TMZ, court documents obtained by the outlet show that a Texas judge ordered Yaya Mayweather to pay Jacobs $40,105,000 in compensatory damages along with another $10 million in exemplary damages. The reported award totals $50.105 million and marks the latest major development in a legal battle that continued long after Mayweather resolved the related criminal case.
The damages are tied to the physical, financial, and long-term consequences Jacobs claimed resulted from the stabbing. More than $8 million was awarded for past damages involving medical expenses, pain and suffering, physical impairment, loss of earning capacity, and disfigurement. The judge reportedly awarded another $32 million for future damages in those categories.
The additional $10 million came as exemplary damages. According to the court findings, Mayweather’s conduct involved “an extreme degree of risk” and “constituted aggravated assault involving the use of a deadly weapon.” Jacobs alleged in the civil case that the injuries caused severe and permanent damage, including loss of function in her arm.
The Yaya Mayweather case traces back to April 3, 2020, when authorities responded to an altercation at a home in Cypress, Texas, outside Houston. According to the Houston Chronicle, prosecutors said Mayweather and Jacobs became involved in a confrontation outside the residence before the dispute moved indoors. Prosecutors alleged that Mayweather retrieved two knives and stabbed Jacobs multiple times in the arm.
Mayweather was 19 at the time. According to ABC13 Houston, Harris County Precinct 4 deputies said what began as a verbal argument escalated into a physical fight. Jacobs was transported to a hospital with injuries authorities initially described as not life-threatening.
Jacobs required surgery after suffering the injuries. Mayweather was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, booked into the Harris County Jail, and released after posting a $30,000 bond.
NBA YoungBoy, whose legal name is Kentrell DeSean Gaulden, was present at the home during the incident. Jacobs is the mother of one of the rapper’s children. Mayweather and YoungBoy also later had a child together.
Mayweather ultimately resolved the criminal case without going to trial. She entered a guilty plea in April 2022 to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Prosecutors recommended six years of deferred adjudication as part of the plea agreement, along with other conditions that included community service and restrictions on contact with Jacobs.
ABC13 Houston reported that Mayweather later received six years of deferred adjudication. Under that arrangement, she avoided prison and could avoid a final felony conviction if she successfully completed the court-ordered requirements. ABC13 reported that the conditions included staying free of new offenses, reporting to a supervising officer, maintaining employment or attending school, and following restrictions involving drugs and travel.
Mayweather’s attorney, Kent Schaffer, had previously maintained that his client believed she was defending herself. Schaffer said the defense believed Jacobs attacked Mayweather first and that YoungBoy and his bodyguards failed to intervene. Schaffer also said the decision to accept the plea removed the risk of a potentially lengthy prison sentence.
The criminal resolution did not end Jacobs’ effort to recover damages. Jacobs sued Mayweather over allegations involving physical pain, mental anguish, medical costs, physical impairment, lost earnings, and disfigurement. NBA YoungBoy was also named in the civil litigation, but his attorney denied that the rapper was responsible and argued that Mayweather alone was responsible for the assault.
Jacobs’ claims against YoungBoy did not proceed to trial. The outlet reported that the judgment against Yaya Mayweather ultimately included compensation for both past and anticipated future losses, in addition to the eight-figure exemplary damages award.
The Yaya Mayweather judgment creates a dramatically different financial consequence from the criminal case, where Mayweather avoided incarceration through deferred adjudication. The reported civil award now places the value of Jacobs’ damages at more than $50 million, six years after the confrontation first brought both women into a legal case connected to one of hip hop’s biggest stars.
