Norwegian Cruise Line has reached a settlement that ends litigation over allegations by a passenger that she was sexually assaulted during a hip hop-themed voyage.
The agreement follows a string of courtroom setbacks for the anonymous passenger as the judge threw out claims against rapper DJ Khaled, who hosted the themed cruise, and security firm Almighty Protection Services.
Lawyers for both sides have filed a joint notice with the US federal court in Miami notifying the court that the case had been settled.
“All pending claims between plaintiff and Norwegian have been settled,” they wrote to US district judge Beth Bloom.
The cruise line and a lawyer for the passenger did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and details of the settlement have been deemed confidential.
Bloom closed the case on Tuesday, although it can be reopened if the two sides do not finalise the agreement.
The passenger, identified only as “Jane Doe”, launched the litigation last November on allegations that she was sexually assaulted during the Days of Summer Hip Hop Cruise.
The music festival at sea was held on the 2,002-berth Norwegian Sky (built 1999) in July 2023, with DJ Khaled as the headline host.
The woman alleged that, after drinking all day, she left a hip hop comedy show while intoxicated and became lost.
A security guard approached her and offered to help her to her cabin, according to the lawsuit filed by lawyers Reginald Hicks, Alex Park and Carlyle Varlack.
She ended up in an unfamiliar room, where she alleged that the security guard forced his penis into her mouth.
Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line had been the last remaining named defendant, and the settlement deal came just before the company was scheduled to submit its answer to the last remaining claim in the case.
The flagship brand of New York-listed Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings had been facing claims of negligence and strict liability.
Court records show that the judge threw out the negligence claim on 23 August.
“Doe raises her negligence claim based on Norwegian’s failure to prevent an intentional tort for which she claims it is strictly liable,” Bloom wrote.
The judge also rejected Doe’s request for punitive damages because there are no allegations of wilful misconduct.
The two sides took part in a mediation session last week in which mediator Laura Bonn said the parties were unable to reach an agreement.
Norwegian was scheduled to submit its response to the strict liability claim on Wednesday.
