Woman Sues Cyndi Lauper's Son for 2020 Sexual Assault

A woman has filed a civil lawsuit in New York City accusing Declyn "Dex" Lauper, the 28-year-old son of singer Cyndi Lauper and actor David Thornton, of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan penthouse in November 2020. The complaint, which also names Thornton as a defendant, alleges that he enabled the incident by leasing the apartment to his son without restrictions despite prior knowledge of his violent behavior toward women.

The lawsuit claims the assault occurred on November 9, 2020, at an apartment on Thompson Street in the SoHo neighborhood. According to the filing, Lauper invited the plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe, to the location and sent her approximately $60 via an app to cover private transportation costs. Upon arrival, the two reportedly disagreed over her performing oral sex, and she expressed discomfort and attempted to leave. The complaint alleges that Lauper then took her cell phone to prevent her departure and threatened to break it if she did not comply. He is accused of pushing her onto the bed multiple times, exposing his genitals, holding her arms down, and forcibly pressing them against her mouth despite her protests and warnings that she might bite.