The Desiree Perez lawsuit is a federal case in which the Roc Nation CEO is being sued by her own daughter, Demoree Hadley, who alleges Perez orchestrated a conspiracy to have her falsely committed to psychiatric facilities under Florida’s Baker Act and Marchman Act. The case, Hadley v. Perez et al. (No. 1:25-cv-22162), is pending before Judge Beth Bloom in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. It has expanded well past the original complaint, now including a defamation counterclaim from the psychiatrist who evaluated Hadley, a social media gag order, contempt sanctions, and a separate insurance coverage fight.
What Demoree Hadley Alleges
Hadley filed suit in May 2025. She claims Perez used her “money, power and influence” to assemble a group of people who worked together to separate her from her husband, Javon Hadley, and to falsely accuse him of domestic violence. The complaint alleges Perez conspired with psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober to initiate an involuntary mental health evaluation under the Baker Act. According to the filing, Bober diagnosed Hadley with “unspecified psychosis” and ordered her transported to Memorial Regional Hospital based on information from family members rather than an independent assessment.1NBC Miami. South Florida Woman Alleges Conspiracy in Baker Act Lawsuit
Hadley says Perez then petitioned to transfer her to a facility called Life Skills under the Marchman Act, alleging severe drug abuse. Hadley calls those claims fabricated, pointing to a drug test taken at Memorial Regional and a hair follicle test at Life Skills, both negative.1NBC Miami. South Florida Woman Alleges Conspiracy in Baker Act Lawsuit She was held in mental health facilities for nearly two weeks before being released on April 8, after Perez voluntarily dismissed the Marchman Act case.
The complaint also alleges Perez made unfounded allegations to police that resulted in Javon Hadley’s arrest on battery and domestic violence charges. Prosecutors declined to pursue those charges. The complaint cites an eleven-page closeout memorandum from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office that reportedly stated Perez had made false allegations to police and in which a prosecutor described Demoree as having been “wrongfully baker acted.”1NBC Miami. South Florida Woman Alleges Conspiracy in Baker Act Lawsuit The Hadleys’ attorney, Hilton Napoleon II, told NBC Miami that in twenty years of practice he had never seen a case where “it is so clear that someone did something wrong.”
How Perez Is Defending the Case
Perez has moved to dismiss, arguing her actions were “rooted in legitimate concern” for her daughter. She says she initiated the Baker Act process because she feared Demoree was at risk of suicide and was abusing prescription drugs.1NBC Miami. South Florida Woman Alleges Conspiracy in Baker Act Lawsuit Her attorney, Barbara A. Martinez of Holland & Knight LLP, says Perez was trying to rescue her daughter from domestic abuse and that there are “recordings of at least two instances of Mr. Hadley physically assaulting Ms. Hadley.”2AllHipHop. Roc Nation CEO Sanctions Against Daughter Over Ruthless Social Media Campaign
In August 2025, Perez’s team went on the offensive, seeking sanctions against Demoree, Javon, and their attorney. Martinez alleged the couple had orchestrated a “ruthless” campaign using social media bots and paid content creators to push the hashtag #JusticeForDemoree, producing millions of posts aimed at pressuring Perez into a $10 million settlement. As evidence, the defense submitted recorded jail calls in which Javon Hadley allegedly said, “We’re gonna make her settle. It’s a payday.”3EURweb. Desiree Perez Daughter Smear Campaign Lawsuit
Martinez also accused the Hadleys of falsely claiming Perez had ties to a Mexican drug cartel and of accusing her of planting a surveillance device in their home. According to the defense, the supposed surveillance device turned out to be a toy part.3EURweb. Desiree Perez Daughter Smear Campaign Lawsuit Perez has asked the court to dismiss all claims, order deletion of related online content, permanently bar the Hadleys from contacting influencers about the case, and award legal fees.2AllHipHop. Roc Nation CEO Sanctions Against Daughter Over Ruthless Social Media Campaign
The Gag Order and Contempt Fight
On June 25, 2025, Judge Bloom entered an order barring the parties and their lawyers from publishing statements about the dispute or encouraging third parties to do so.4GovInfo. Hadley v. Perez, 1:25-cv-22162-BB
In July 2025, Roc Nation moved to hold Demoree in contempt, alleging she violated the order by appearing in an interview with media personality Tasha K that was posted to her Instagram account through a collaboration tag. Hadley denied posting the video, saying Tasha K added her as a collaborator without her consent, and said she removed the content the same day.5Hot 97. Roc Nation Moves to Hold Desiree Perez’s Daughter in Contempt Over Tasha K Remarks Court filings indicated Perez received threatening messages after the interview was published.6HotNewHipHop. Roc Nation Desiree Perez Daughter Contempt
The parties reached an agreement. On August 4, 2025, a Magistrate Judge recommended denying the contempt motions as moot after the Hadleys agreed to remove the identified posts and to pay $2,500 in sanctions to Holland & Knight’s trust account within ten months.4GovInfo. Hadley v. Perez, 1:25-cv-22162-BB Judge Bloom adopted that recommendation on August 13, 2025, and separately ordered Hadley to remove a specific repost from X that remained in violation of the order.7CaseMine. Hadley v. Perez, Order on Motions
Dr. Bober’s Defamation Counterclaim
In November 2025, Dr. Daniel Bober, the psychiatrist who initiated the Baker Act evaluation, filed a four-count defamation counterclaim against Hadley. Bober alleges that starting in May 2025, Hadley accused him on social media and in media interviews of “abducting,” “kidnapping,” and “harassing” her, and of being “bought” or “paid” by her mother. He says the statements are false and caused serious professional and reputational damage, including threats, calls for revocation of his medical license, and his forced resignation as Medical Director of the Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Option.8GovInfo. Hadley v. Perez, Counterclaim Order
Hadley moved to dismiss, arguing her statements were truthful and protected under Florida’s anti-SLAPP statute. On April 14, 2026, Judge Bloom denied the motion, finding Bober had adequately alleged defamation and that Hadley had not met the burden to invoke anti-SLAPP protection. The court noted it could not resolve the truth of the disputed statements at the motion-to-dismiss stage.8GovInfo. Hadley v. Perez, Counterclaim Order
Which Claims Have Been Dismissed
The case names several defendants beyond Perez, including Dr. Bober, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, and various facilities and individuals. Judge Bloom issued an omnibus order on October 8, 2025, granting some motions to dismiss and denying others. Defendant Odyssey Behavioral Healthcare was dismissed in August 2025 for failure to timely serve.9CaseMine. Hadley v. Perez, Omnibus Order on Motions to Dismiss
The court continued to narrow the case in the months that followed. Counts VII and XI were dismissed with prejudice in January 2026. In February 2026, Judge Bloom adopted a Magistrate Judge’s recommendation dismissing Counts VI and VII with prejudice. An earlier December 2025 order dismissed without prejudice certain counts against South Broward Hospital District and Life Skills South Florida Outpatient, LLC.10PACER Monitor. Hadley v. Perez et al The core dispute between Hadley and Perez continues.
The Insurance Coverage Lawsuit
In a separate proceeding filed April 3, 2026, Roc Nation’s commercial liability insurer, New York Marine and General Insurance Co., brought a declaratory judgment action seeking a ruling that it has no duty to defend or indemnify Perez in the Hadley case. The insurer argues the dispute arises from a “contentious mother-daughter relationship” and is a “strictly personal matter” unrelated to Perez’s duties as CEO, so she is not an “insured” under the policies.11Billboard. Roc Nation Insurer Won’t Pay CEO Legal Battle Daughter
The coverage case (No. 1:26-cv-22329) is assigned to Judge Roy K. Altman in the Southern District of Florida. Both Perez and Hadley are named as defendants. As of late May 2026, attorney Christopher Thomas Kuleba had entered an appearance for Perez, with her response due June 29, 2026. Hadley was served on June 6, 2026, with a response due by the end of that month.12PACER Monitor. New York Marine and General Insurance Company v. Perez et al
Where the Case Stands Now
As of June 2026, the main lawsuit is active and deep in discovery. A discovery hearing was held before Magistrate Judge Lauren Fleischer Louis on June 12, 2026. Perez’s team has filed motions to compel production of Demoree Hadley’s communications from an attorney named Nayib Hassan and to compel Javon Hadley to turn over a forensic image of his cellphone to the investigative firm Guidepost Solutions. Both motions were pending with responses due June 29, 2026, and a mediator has been appointed.10PACER Monitor. Hadley v. Perez et al No trial on the underlying Baker Act and Marchman Act allegations has yet taken place.