David Thornton, Cyndi Lauper's Husband, Faces Civil Lawsuit Over Alleged Enabling of Son's Sexual Assault

Actor David Thornton, husband of iconic singer Cyndi Lauper, is currently facing a civil lawsuit in New York City connected to sexual assault allegations against their son, Declyn Lauper.

The legal action, documented by Rolling Stone, was filed by an anonymous plaintiff identified as Jane Doe, who has accused Declyn Lauper of committing a "brutal sexual assault" in November 2020. This appears to be the same individual who previously sued Lauper for sexual assault in 2024, as both complaints describe incidents occurring on November 9, 2020, at an apartment located on Thompson Street in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. The earlier lawsuit against Lauper was scheduled for mediation last year; however, Lauper filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy shortly before the proceedings were set to begin.

The current lawsuit specifically targets Thornton for allegedly "enabling the gender-motivated violence perpetrated against [Doe]" by Declyn Lauper. The complaint contends that Thornton provided Lauper access to the apartment where the alleged assault took place "without adequate supervision or restriction," despite having knowledge of "his son's prior sexual violence against women."

Representatives for Thornton have not responded to requests for comment, and the attorney representing Jane Doe has similarly not provided a statement at this time.

Details of the Allegations Against Declyn Lauper

The lawsuit provides a detailed account of the alleged incident. According to the filing, Doe states that Declyn Lauper invited her to the apartment and provided approximately $60 for her transportation costs. Upon her arrival, the suit alleges that she and Lauper had a disagreement regarding a sexual act that Declyn wanted Doe to perform. The complaint states that Doe expressed her discomfort and insisted on leaving the premises.

The lawsuit alleges that Declyn confiscated Doe's cell phone to prevent her departure and threatened to destroy the device if she refused to comply with his demands for oral sex. The complaint further claims that he physically restrained Doe by pushing her onto his bed each time she attempted to leave the room. On the third such occasion, the lawsuit alleges that Declyn held her down despite her requests to be released, then forcibly pressed his genitals against her mouth while Doe warned that she would defend herself.

According to the filing, when Doe placed her teeth on Lauper's genitals in an attempt to free herself, he allegedly responded by applying his full body weight to her head and neck, pressing her against the bed. The lawsuit states that Lauper only released her after both parties heard what was described as a "pop sound" from her neck and upper spine.

The complaint alleges that following the incident, Lauper used derogatory language toward Doe, including racial slurs, and stated that no one would believe her account if she reported what had occurred. After leaving the apartment, Doe claims that Lauper contacted her to apologize for his actions and made several subsequent attempts to reach her, all of which she declined.

Background and Prior Legal Issues

To establish the foundation for the case against Thornton and his alleged awareness of his son's behavior, the lawsuit references previous allegations made against Declyn Lauper. In 2018, Brittney Taylor, a participant on the reality television series Love & Hip-Hop: New York and Lauper's former girlfriend, publicly accused him of domestic violence, physical assault, false imprisonment, and making threats related to revenge pornography. The status of Lauper's response to these allegations remains unclear, as his legal representative has not provided comment.

The lawsuit also highlights Declyn Lauper's documented legal troubles, which include a 2022 arrest for vehicle theft outside a rapper's memorial service, to which he ultimately pleaded guilty. Additionally, he faced gun and drug charges in 2024 related to a shooting incident. Lauper pleaded guilty in that case as well and received a sentence of one year of interim probation along with mandatory substance abuse treatment earlier this month.