The 52-year-old rapper, along with his bodyguard McKinley Lee, was accused of the 1993 shooting of gang member Philip Woldemariam at Woodbine Park in Los Angeles. They faced first and second-degree murder charges during their 1996 trial.
Snoop Dogg’s debut album was released shortly before the highly publicized trial, and following his acquittal, the rapper, whose real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., has enjoyed widespread success. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Snoop filed a petition in January 2024 to have the records sealed, which was approved by the court in February.
Sealing the records ensures they are no longer accessible to the public and will not appear in background checks for jobs, housing, or education.
In 1993, Snoop Dogg was charged as an accessory to the fatal shooting of a rival gang member, allegedly shot by his bodyguard. Prosecutors claimed Snoop was driving the vehicle from which the gun was fired. Despite the charges, Snoop was controversially allowed to continue his tour in Britain, which led to a tabloid headline reading: “Kick this evil b*****d out.”
Snoop later claimed that Queen Elizabeth II personally intervened to prevent him from being banned from Britain.
During the trial, Snoop, then 24, was seen in shock, clasping his hands in prayer as he and Lee were acquitted of both murder and conspiracy to commit assault charges. Following his acquittal, Snoop told the LA Times: “They made the right decision, you know what I’m saying? This ordeal affected our lives for the last 2 1/2 years. I was just trying to figure out if I was going to be here to raise my son.”
Snoop Dogg, a father of four, shares three children—Cordé, 29, Cordell, 27, and Cori, 25—with his wife of 27 years, Shante Broadus. He also has a son, Julian, 26, from a previous relationship with Laurie Holmond.
