Marvin Gaye III, the eldest son of legendary singer Marvin Gaye, is being accused of assault, battery, false imprisonment and more in a new lawsuit.
Court documents filed in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 26, and obtained by Us Weekly reveal that the accuser, identified as Jane Doe, alleges an incident at Gaye’s residence in January 2023 where she was asked to intervene in a dispute between Gaye and his then-wife Wendy.
Jane Doe asserts in the legal papers that her sole intention was to help de-escalate the situation. However, she alleges that the encounter spiraled into a series of violent and threatening actions by Gaye, including physical assault, verbal death threats, and brandishing a firearm towards her and Wendy while threatening their lives.
According to the court documents, the accuser claims that the 59-year-old Gaye physically assaulted her by gripping her arms, shaking her, and even stepping on her foot. She further alleges that Gaye pointed a gun at her and Wendy, uttering threats to end their lives.
At one point, Gaye “intentionally confined her in a guestroom by physically blocking her exit and threatening harm,” court documents state.
The unnamed woman claims his “dangerous” behavior was “extreme, outrageous and beyond the bounds of decency.”
In the lawsuit, Gaye is also accused of orchestrating “acts of intimidation,” including “tampering with [her] vehicle by cutting the brakes and arranging for his associates to surveil [her] home.”
As a direct result of Gaye’s alleged conduct, the woman claims in court paperwork that she has suffered severe emotional distress including anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia and weight loss between 24 and 30 pounds.
She claims she has to have security for family events and lives in “constant fear” for her and her loved ones’ safety.
The accuser is asking the court for an undisclosed amount of damages, attorneys fees and is requesting the court prohibit Gaye from further harassment or contact with her.
When contacted for comment about the allegations, Gaye told Us: “No way did that happen. It’s all bulls—. I wouldn’t do that. These are false claims.” He also stated he was not previously aware of a lawsuit.
Gaye, who revealed he is recovering from multiple strokes, believes he knows who the accuser is and claims she is “trying to extort money from me.”
This isn’t the first time Gaye has found himself facing shocking allegations in court. In January 2023, the same timeframe as Doe claims in her lawsuit, Gaye was arrested for domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon, with his then-wife Wendy filing a temporary restraining order days after the arrest claiming Gaye had used a handgun and injured her neck, causing emotional distress and trauma, according to reports.
Per reports at the time, Wendy claimed in her filing that Gaye grabbed her by the neck “and lifted her off the ground.” When a family member came to her defense, he “began physically attacking her.”
Gaye allegedly then grabbed a handgun and pointed it at both individuals “while threatening to shoot them as they ran out of the house.” (It’s unclear if that case is related in any way to the Doe lawsuit.)
Nearly two months after his arrest, Gaye filed for divorce from Wendy.
Gaye is the adopted son of Marvin Gaye and his first wife Anna Gordy. His biological mother is Denise Gordy, Anna’s niece.
With reporting by Andrea Simpson
