American rapper Freddie Gibbs was arrested Thursday in connection with an alleged rape that took place in Austria in 2015.
The 33-year-old, born Fredrick Tipton, was taken into custody before a scheduled concert in Toulouse, France. He had performed in Paris the night before.
Gibbs appeared in front of a French judge Friday and plans to fight his extradition to Austria. In a statement obtained by Billboard and other music publications, his lawyer Scott Leemon questioned the timing of the charges.
“Freddie Gibbs adamantly denies the allegations that have levied against by Austrian authorities. It makes you wonder why it took almost a year for Austrian officials to bring these charges,” the statement read.
Leemon added, “Freddie will be fighting the extradition request as these are nothing more than trumped up charges.”
The decision over the rapper’s extradition will reportedly be made in the coming days. Gibbs is scheduled to perform in London Sunday and has two concerts scheduled back in France next week.
None of these dates have been canceled yet.