French Montana must pay $402K for dog attack

French Montana, the rapper known for his hit song "Unforgettable," has lost a legal battle regarding a dog attack case. A judge in Los Angeles ruled that he must pay $402,644 to a landscaper named Jason Leyva. Leyva claims that Montana's Tibetan mountain dog attacked him while Montana watched. Leyva alleges the incident happened on November 3, 2019. He says Montana assured him that the dog wouldn’t harm him. However, the dog bit Leyva on the shoulder and then on the hip, causing serious injuries that required hospital treatment. Montana, whose real name is Karim Kharbouch, argued that he was not aware of Leyva's lawsuit until after a default judgment was issued last October. He claimed he had moved out of California and did not receive proper notice. He believed he had settled the case with Leyva before the judgment, but failed to provide evidence to support this claim during court proceedings. Initially, the judge seemed to support Montana’s position. However, after a hearing, the judge changed his mind, stating that Montana did not prove he had an arrangement with Leyva. Leyva's lawyer provided evidence that Montana was aware of the lawsuit, contradicting his claims of ignorance. Montana's legal team plans to request a reconsideration of the ruling. They assert that the initial tentative ruling was favorable for Montana and are willing to appeal if necessary. Meanwhile, Leyva maintains that he never signed any settlement agreement with Montana and disputes claims made by Montana about financial arrangements. The case highlights the ongoing legal issues resulting from the dog attack.