Yesterday (Oct. 17), Superfly actor Kaalan Walker, 27, was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for sex crimes against women, including three teens and four adults. According to the Los Angeles Times, he was convicted of three counts of forcible rape, two counts of statutory rape and two counts of rape by intoxication in April.
Walker gained notoriety for his role as “Juju” in the 2018 film. The movie was a 1972 remake and starred Trevor Jackson, Jason Mitchell and Michael K. Williams. As the film proved to be a hit, Walker used his newfound fame to target women. Police said he would meet his victims on social media and promise to help advance their careers. He’d often tell the women, mostly models, to meet him at a video shoot or the home of someone famous. Once alone, he would sexually assault them.
He was arrested for related charges in 2018 but later released on bail. Kehlani, who previously dated the Superfly actor, publicly shared her support for his victims. In a 2021 Instagram post, the singer said, “I am standing with the victims of a serial RAPIST who I know personally to be aggressive, dangerous and twisted.” She continued, “I did not forget who tore down victims of sexual assault when this came out.”
“I did not forget what bloggers and blogs and platforms felt like they had to play neutral and give a rapist a platform for the sake of clicks [and] views when this came out. I hope all of [y’all] beat your own f**king a** and eat your own words. This man is going to jail for the rest of his life, guilty as hell,” Kehlani added. Previous reports claim he preyed on as many as 30 women, dating back to 2013. Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Wallace shared that she believes Walker is “truly a predator.”
During a trial in March, Deputy District Attorney Yasmin Fardghassemi spoke about Walker’s victims in court. “When they said, ‘Stop,’ he didn’t care,” she said to the jury. In addition to his role in Superfly, the 27-year-old also appeared in the film Kings starring Halle Berry and Daniel Craig and a television drama series titled “In Contempt.”