Ashanti is playing no games in the lead-up to her 20th anniversary. April 2022 will mark two decades since the New York City songstress made her debut with the self-titled Ashanti. In build-up to the milestone, Ashanti has been doing promo rounds and racking up new accolades in the process. In her latest interview, she opens up about her career with The Breakfast Club, detailing some darker times along her journey, including her experience with a obsessed fan.
Devar Hurd was a fan of Ashanti, who took his love for the star too far. He has been on trial three times for attempting to communicate with the “Foolish” singer in a number of inappropriate ways. Back in 2009, he first tried to contact her via her mother. Hurd allegedly sent Ashanti’s mother Inappropriate photographs in an attempt to get their attention.
Hurd maintains that he had a relationship with Ashanti and that she and her family were simply trying to distance themselves from him. Unfortunately for Ashanti, the trial was pushed out three times for a number of reasons, meaning it took a while to find some justice. Hurd’s first time in court resulted in a mistrial because a juror got ill during the deliberations.
A second trial left the jury split as they could not seem to agree on how to rule in his main charge, felony stalking. Meanwhile, the entire time Hurd represented himself, making audacious claims and humiliating Ashanti in from of the court as he acted as his own lawyer. Hurd claims that he works in the music industry as well, and when presented with over 100 inappropriate tweets that he sent to the singer, he claimed it was part of the “work they do.” When it was all said and done, Hurd served about three years and is now a free man.
Speaking with The Breakfast Club, Ashanti reflected on that time and how and why things escalated the way they did. She said that when cross-examined and asked why he was pursuing Ashanti, Hurd maintained that he felt the singer wanted him after they made eye contact at a show in Chicago. From that point on, he became relentless in his pursuit of the R&B singer. According to the singer, she was concerned for her life and thank god for keeping her safe, claiming Hurd was very obsessive.
Ashanti says that Lil Wayne actually shared a cell block with Hurd and told her stories about him upon his release. Wayne confirmed that Hurd was, in fact, crazy and spoke about the singer as if he knew her and truly dated her. Ashanti maintains she is ok now but travels with extra security whenever she goes to Chicago.
Chris Brown shared a similar issue with someone pursuing him. Back in 2015, a female suspect was charged with breaking into Brown’s home in an attempt to get close to the “Loyal” singer. Amira Kodcia Ayeb was eventually charged with “one felony count each of first-degree residential burglary, stalking and vandalism.”
