A New York City woman has filed a civil lawsuit accusing Declyn “Dex” Lauper of sexually assaulting her inside a Manhattan penthouse in November 2020. In the complaint, she says she was invited to the apartment, pressured to perform oral sex and then physically restrained when she tried to leave, leaving her with physical and emotional injuries. The suit also seeks damages from actor David Thornton, singer Cyndi Lauper’s husband, arguing that as the alleged leaseholder he failed to supervise or prevent his son’s conduct inside the unit.
According to TMZ, which obtained the complaint, the woman claims she was sent money for private transportation to the penthouse. When she arrived, the filing says Dex “seemed agitated” and a dispute over oral sex quickly escalated. The lawsuit alleges he took her phone and threatened to break it, pushed her onto his bed with his genitals exposed, held her arms down and forcibly pressed his genitals against her mouth. The complaint further claims he called her a “bitch,” used a racial slur and warned her that no one would believe her story. The plaintiff also tells the court that Thornton knew of prior allegations and settlements involving his son and is therefore liable for allegedly enabling the violence.
Background on Lauper's son
The lawsuit places the allegations against a broader backdrop of recent legal trouble for Declyn “Dex” Lauper. He recently accepted a plea deal in a weapons case tied to a 2024 incident and avoided prison through an interim-probation arrangement, as reported by Parade. He also filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in early 2025 just days before a scheduled mediation in a separate civil case, according to reporting reviewed by Mediate.
Why the suit names the leaseholder
The plaintiff’s claims against David Thornton rely on legal theories that often come up in third-party civil actions, including negligent supervision, negligent retention and premises liability tied to foreseeability. New York courts have held that property owners can be responsible for criminal acts that occur on their premises when the harm was reasonably foreseeable and tied to a failure to take ordinary precautions, a principle laid out in state decisions and discussed in summaries by New York courts. The lawsuit argues that Thornton knew of his son’s alleged prior violent and sexually abusive behavior and still allowed the penthouse to be used in a way that enabled the alleged assault.
The story was first reported on March 24, 2026, by TMZ, which says it reached out to representatives for Cyndi Lauper and had not received a response at the time of publication. The filing is a civil lawsuit seeking monetary damages. Any criminal investigation or charges would be handled separately by prosecutors and would appear in court records if they were brought.
