Clifton Powell, the actor who is best known to us Old Schoolers as “Pinky” from Friday movies and as Ray Charles’ right hand man in the film, Ray, has just spoken out again about being falsely accused of raping a woman in Louisiana in 2011.

Powell was recently asked about how he’s been holding up ever since the charges were dropped years ago and he became extremely emotional when describing how the trumped up charges had done major damage to his career.

BACKSTORY ON THE RAPE CLAIMS

For those who aren’t familiar with the rape allegations Clifton is referring to, here’s a 2012 report about the 2011 sexual encounter between Clifton and the woman:

Via TMZ (2012): Clifton Powell…has been sued by a woman using the pseudonym Kiyante Myers … who claims the actor raped her in a hotel room in August 2011. According to the suit, Myers claims she initially consented to sex with Powell … but when it turned rough, she asked him to stop … and he refused.

Instead, she claims, Powell placed his hands over her face and raped her. Myers went to cops about the incident last year … and an investigation was conducted. But cops didn’t feel there was enough evidence to prove Powell committed a crime and they closed the case against the actor.

Myers has now taken her claims to federal court in Louisiana, where she’s seeking damages in excess of $75k. A rep for Clifton tells TMZ … “Mr. Powell absolutely denies these false accusations and plans on pursuing all legal remedies available to him against his accuser.”

Clifton Powell: ‘She wanted me to give her money’

Ever since the accuser made the rape claims against Clifton Powell in 2011, he’s been very vocal about his innocence and has spoken to the media on numerous occasions about it. In a 2012 interview with Ryan Cameron, Clifton also claimed that the sex was completely consensual and the woman was angry with him afterward because he did not want to give her any money.

IN 2013

In 2013 the accuser won a emotional distress claim by default because Clifton’s attorney failed to show up to court, which by default granted the woman approximately $130,000.

IN JANUARY 2017

Clifton Powell asked the court to dismiss his 2013 default ruling because he was never served any papers to show up to court and he was under the impression, from his attorney, that everything had been handled. Keep in mind that Clifton was never tried for rape, because the investigating officers at the scene, who also interviewed the accuser and Clifton, found no sufficient evidence. Therefore, Clifton Powell was never arrested, jailed, nor tried for rape.

In his January court docs, this statement regarding why the monetary default judgement should be dismissed was also included:

‘An affidavit completed by the lead detective on the related criminal investigation, Detective D. Williams of the New Orleans Police Department.19 Detective Williams states, in part: “Through my investigation I found Ms. Kiyante Myers’ claims to be unfounded; specifically because when I asked Ms. Kiyante Myers was she forced or intimidated to commit any sexual intercourse with Mr. Powell she replied No.”

Thoughts ILOSM fam?