‘He Had No Reason’: Georgia Singer Sky Whatley Hit with Battery Charge After Woman Says Viral Slap Left Her with Black Eyes and Dental Injuries
David “Sky” Whatley is an up-and-coming Georgia-based singer, best known for his Southern soul songs, including “Just Won’t Break (The Strong Woman’s Anthem)” and “I Love Me Some Me.
Many people are learning his name for a reason that has nothing to do with his music.
Whatley faces charges after a viral video showed him striking a woman during a September performance near Atlanta.
Whispers on the internet resurfaced weeks later. The woman, identified as Shamika Boyd, spoke out after different angles of the incident emerged online.
Whatley has not responded publicly about his actions, but he’ll soon have to answer for them in court.
On Oct. 3, the New York Post reported that authorities issued Whatley a warrant for simple battery. Authorities had not arrested him as of publication.
But one striking moment went viral during Whatley’s performance at the Legendary Awards Show at the Londzell Performing Arts Theatre in Tucker, Georgia on Sept. 6.
In a long video posted by NC Beat, Boyd was seen dancing freely at the front of the stage. She held one leg up on the wall, leaving the other one down while Whatley reached for her. The woman didn’t reach back, so he continued singing onstage.
Next, a man from backstage can be seen approaching Boyd to get her down. But she continued dancing near the stage.
The most-shared video shows Boyd standing at the front of the stage, reaching out to Whatley as he sings “Waffle House at 2am.”
Boyd attended the show to support her daughter, who was DJing the event, so it’s unclear whether she was reaching for her instead of Whatley.
He initially reached out to grab Boyd’s hand, but she started wriggling her fingers instead of grabbing his hand back.
It’s unclear whether they exchanged words, but next, Whatley instantly swung one open hand out and swiped it across the woman’s head.
“When he hit me, I was devastated because I’m thinking, ‘Why did he hit me? He had no reason to hit me,” Boyd told local station 11Alive
The video shows Boyd reeling to one side from the impact of Whatley’s slap. She said the slap knocked out the composite material in her teeth and left her with two black eyes.
“I did nothing to him. He was in no harm, no threat, or anything,” Boyd told 11Alive. According to her, Whatley took things a step further than the slap.
“Then, to add insult to injury,” she said, “After he flipped me off, he was like, ‘F— you, b—. This is for the real men.”
Boyd’s daughter, Jada Boyd, said she didn’t know what happened until later on.
“I wouldn’t let (any mom) go through something like that, especially for them just supporting their kid,” she told the outlet.
Instagram users responded to news that authorities charged Whatley but had not arrested him.
One person said, “Arrest him !! DO NOT Leave this situation unfair ! He is a dangerous man.”
Another person wrote, “They would have been arresting me for taking the law in my own hands. Sorry.”
A third social media user disgusted by his behavior typed, “He needs to go to jail! What the $&@ was that?!!”
Georgia attorney Shannin Render, who represents Boyd, questioned why authorities have not arrested Whatley.
“They’re just not doing their job,” Render told 11Alive. “I’ve done this for about 10 years now, and when there’s an active warrant, you get picked up. Especially with something of such notoriety.”
Render said law enforcement has decided to let Whatley turn himself in. He has since turned his Instagram page private.
Meanwhile, Boyd is seeking compensation for medical treatment and possible loss of income.
