Beyoncé’s Drummer Lawsuit: Witchcraft Petition and Dismissal

The lawsuit involving Beyoncé’s drummer was not a conventional lawsuit but a civil harassment restraining order petition filed in September 2018 by Kimberly Thompson, who had played drums in the singer’s all-female touring band for roughly seven years. The petition, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, accused Beyoncé of “extreme witchcraft,” “magic spells of sexual molestation,” and a range of other conduct. A judge denied a temporary restraining order the same day the petition was filed, and the case was dismissed a few weeks later when Thompson did not show up for the scheduled hearing.¹²

What Thompson Alleged

Court documents first obtained by The Blast laid out a striking set of accusations. Thompson claimed Beyoncé had practiced “extreme witchcraft” and used “dark magic” against her as part of a harassment campaign.³ The specific allegations in the filing included:

casting “magic spells of sexual molestation”
killing Thompson’s pet kitten
tapping her phone
controlling her finances
placing her under surveillance
casting “magic spells on my lovers”
stealing intellectual property and computer hard drives

⁴

When Pitchfork reached Thompson by email to verify the filings, she responded: “All accusations… I survived are real.”⁵ According to reports, she did not offer a specific explanation for why Beyoncé would target her.⁶

Who Kimberly Thompson Is

Thompson is a professional drummer and a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where she later received the school’s youngest Alumni Achievement Award. Her professional pages describe her as a three-time Grammy-winning musician.⁷³⁸

In a 2016 interview with Nylon, before her tenure with the singer ended, Thompson had described the level of control Beyoncé kept over her team’s appearance, saying that even a mohawk hairstyle needed the singer’s approval. She framed it then as part of Beyoncé’s “packaging and branding.”³

How the Court Handled the Petition

The petition was filed on September 19, 2018, against Beyoncé Giselle Knowles in Los Angeles County Superior Court and assigned to Judge Patricia Jo Titus.¹

Under California’s civil harassment statute, Code of Civil Procedure § 527.6, a petitioner seeking a temporary restraining order must show reasonable proof of harassment and that “great or irreparable harm” would result without the order.⁹ At the full hearing that follows within 21 to 25 days, the petitioner bears the burden of proving harassment by clear and convincing evidence, a higher bar than the usual civil standard.¹⁰

Judge Titus denied the temporary restraining order on the same day the petition was filed. The court’s reasoning was not publicly detailed in available records. A full hearing was set for October 11, 2018.¹⁵

Thompson did not appear at that hearing. No representative for Beyoncé appeared either. Because the petitioner failed to appear, the judge dismissed the case for lack of prosecution.²¹¹

Beyoncé’s Response

Neither Beyoncé nor her management team ever publicly commented on Thompson’s allegations.³ There is no public record of any legal response filed on the singer’s behalf, and no representative appeared at the October 11 hearing.²

What Was and Was Not Decided

The case ended without any of Thompson’s allegations being tested in an evidentiary hearing. The dismissal was procedural, based on non-appearance, and not a ruling on the truth or falsity of the claims.¹¹ Some of the alleged conduct, such as phone tapping, financial control, and surveillance, would fall within the reach of § 527.6 if proven; the witchcraft and spell-casting claims would have faced evidentiary problems that the court was never required to address, because the temporary order was denied and the petitioner did not return for the hearing.⁹

Thompson has continued to work as a musician since the case closed. She runs KTMUSICPRODUCTIONS, a Harlem-based record label, and leads the Kimberly Thompson Jazz Quartet.⁷⁸

1
Trellis Law. Thompson, Kimberly vs Knowles, Beyonce Giselle
2
Page Six. Beyoncé’s Ex-Drummer’s Witchcraft Restraining Order Denied
3
Newsweek. Former Drummer Kimberly Thompson Accuses Beyoncé of Extreme Witchcraft
4
Vice. Beyoncé Witch Allegations Kimberly Thompson
5
Pitchfork. Beyoncé’s Ex-Drummer Files for Restraining Order Alleging Extreme Witchcraft
6
Now 100 FM. Beyoncé’s Former Drummer Files Restraining Order, Claims Dark Magic
7
iamkimberlythompson.com. About Me
8
Gretsch Drums. Kimberly Thompson
9
FindLaw. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 527.6
10
Sacramento County Public Law Library. Civil Harassment Restraining Order
11
Complex. Beyoncé Ex-Drummer Witchcraft Case Dismissed