Singer Doja Cat’s mother Deborah Sawyer, 62, filed a petition against her son, Raman Dalithando Dlamini, 30, on Friday the 12th January 2024. She alleged that her son had physically and verbally abused her daughter, Doja Cat, 28. Sawyer sought a restraining order from the court. She asked the judge to also include Doja Cat in the temporary restraining order against her son.
The judge partially granted temporary restraining order but stated that there was “insufficient good cause shown” to seek protection for Doja Cat. The judge ordered that Doja Cat could file her own petition to seek protection. The next hearing of the case will be on January 31, 2023.
Sawyer wrote in the petition that her daughter experienced physical harm as her teeth being knocked out and bruises and lacerations. The petition stated, “Raman has verbally assaulted her in a very degrading and demeaning manner. Raman has made her feel unsafe and traumatized.”
The petition included events of the past stating that her son had abused his mother 3 to 10 times recently and several times in the past. According to court records, Sawyer was previously granted a restraining order against her son in 2017.
Sawyer cited the most recent assault by her son on Jan 10, 2024 when he blocked her from entering her home, refused to leave the house, verbally abused her threatening to hit her and attempted to choke her. Sawyer stated that some of the abuse occurred when her 13-year old grandson was present on the scene. She requested that her grandson, whose parents were not identified in the petition, should also be included in the restraining order.
The petition stated that Sawyer had "constant anxiety and fear" for her safety and wellbeing. She prayed before the court, “I need these orders to protect the physical and emotional wellbeing of all parties listed," the petition stated. "I am not only worried and fearful of physically violent episodes but the tremendous mental and emotional damage that is being done." NBC tried to obtain the personal views of Sawyer, her son and daughter but none could be contacted.