The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has rejected a case related to the alleged stabbing of rapper Blueface.
The D.A.’s office said it dismissed the case after Blueface, whose real name is Johnathan Porter, allegedly declined to provide identification, receive medical treatment or “answer any questions” at the scene. A charge evaluation worksheet filed by Deputy Paula Selesnick and provided to The Times notes that the owner of the gym, who witnessed the incident and contacted the police, “was also uncooperative.”
The document states that the suspect — identified as Brandon Henrysnell — allegedly stabbed Blueface in the leg with a knife. The paperwork also notes that “most of the incident” was caught on video, “however, you cannot see the stabbing” because Henrysnell and Blueface are obscured behind boxing bags in the footage.
A representative for Blueface did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.
Last month, the “Thotiana” artist was training for a fight at the Kaminsky Boxing Gym in Reseda when he was allegedly stabbed. Footage previously shared on Blueface’s Instagram story shows a man with a dog approaching the musician at the gym.
In the video, the men can be seen talking to each other before Blueface punches the man in the face several times while wearing boxing gloves. The man then backs away, pulls an object out of his pocket and walks toward the “Outside (Better Days)” performer.
The video cuts off before the alleged stabbing. However, Blueface later posted a photo of what appeared to be a wounded leg wrapped in bloodstained bandages. The 26-year-old hip-hop star was transported to a hospital after the incident.
Online L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. records show that Henrysnell, who reportedly turned himself in, was arrested Aug. 23 on suspicion of a felony. He was released from custody on Aug. 24.
Henrysnell told police at the station that he and Blueface got into an argument after he went to the gym to talk to the “Soak City” artist “about his ex-fiancé,” according to the charge evaluation worksheet. Henrysnell also said that he pulled out the switchblade he carries with him “because he felt threatened” after Blueface punched him — but that he didn’t know if he “got him” with the blade or not — the document states.
The D.A.’s office tossed the case because Blueface “refused to make a statement or provide the necessary information to the police” and because Henrysnell had a “plausible self-defense argument,” the paperwork says.
In November, Blueface was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder for allegedly “discharging a firearm at/into an occupied structure” in Las Vegas.
The Times interviewed Blueface in July 2019 about his rise to fame and early success as a talented young rapper with a viral hit song that led to plum gigs and awards-show appearances. He was inducted into XXL Magazine’s Freshman Class of 2019 alongside the likes of Roddy Ricch, Rico Nasty, Tierra Whack and Megan Thee Stallion.
“Everybody’s waiting on the downfall of artists,” Blueface told The Times in 2019. “I’ve got everybody waiting on me right now. But I ain’t going nowhere.”
Times staff writer Jonah Valdez contributed to this report.
