Drake has been ordered to appear for a deposition in the XXXTentacion murder trial after being named a potential suspect in the rap star’s death by the defense. According to TMZ, the 36-year-old has been scheduled to appear before the presiding judge on Feb. 24 via Zoom. If he fails to appear, a postponement date has also been set for Feb. 27, after which his absence would result in him possibly being charged with contempt.
Mauricio Padilla, the defense attorney for Dedrick Williams, one of three suspects charged in connection to the murder, argued and convinced the case’s presiding judge that Drake’s testimony is essential in proving his client’s innocence. Drake was first named as a person of interest in the case in December 2022 when Williams’ counsel argued the hitmaker could possibly be responsible for XXX’s death due to a beef the pair had prior to his passing.
In a social media post, the late rapper warned that if he were ever to wind up dead that Drake is the culprit. “If anyone tries to kill me it was @champagnepapi,” his Instagram Stories read at the time. The “Look At Me” artist would later claim that his Instagram account had been compromised and that he was not the author of the post.
In addition to the 6 God, Williams’ attorney named Joe Budden, Quavo, Offset, 600 Breezy, 6ix9ine, Tankhead666, Ski Mask The Slump God, and incarcerated Toronto rapper Top5 as potential witnesses due to their own disagreements with the deceased. Drake was first scheduled to be deposed on Jan. 27 but failed to show up for the hearing.
XXXTentacion was shot and killed during a robbery on June 18, 2018 after leaving Riva Motorsports in Deerfield Beach, Fla. He was 20 years old at the time of his death. Williams—along with codefendants Michael Boatwright and Trayvon Newsome—has each been charged with first-degree murder and armed robbery with a firearm. They face life in prison if convicted. A fourth man, Robert Allen, plead guilty to second-degree murder in 2022 and has cooperated with the state.