On April 8, Solange Knowles’ creative business partner, Armina Mussa, was stabbed ten times by her roommate’s acquaintance in New Orleans’ St. Roch neighborhood.
The attacker, 26-year-old Arronesia Christophe, was booked on charges of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated battery.
Mussa and Christophe reportedly got into a confrontation outside of a home when Christophe pulled out a knife and stabbed Mussa several times, including the neck.
Mussa had stab wounds to ‘various areas of her body,’ with a New Orleans Police Department sergeant calling the wounds ‘potentially fatal.’
Solange cancelled her Coachella performance after the attack so that she could be at Mussa’s bedside.
As Mussa underwent surgeries in a battle to save her life, the story exploded in the media on account of Mussa’s business partnership and friendship with Solange. Most reports at the time cited her alleged attacker’s version of the bloody incident. However, last week, Mussa sat down with NOLA Defender to set the record straight.
Mussa describes the initial media reports as a “false picture of the events,” and notes that her “heart drops to my stomach in disgust and fear every time I recollect that evening.”
Despite the police report stating that Christophe encountered Mussa in front of a high school friend’s house, Mussa says the incident occurred in front of Mussa’s own home in St. Roch. Mussa adds, “I watched my attacker circle my block before pulling into the shared parking lot of my home,” Mussa said.
Christophe claims the encounter was random and that the stabbing was an act of self-defense. However, the victim says that could not be “farther from the truth,” and calling the attack, “an act of evil.” Mussa continues, “It is evident that this was an act of premeditated violence.”
The defendant told police that Mussa approached her car irate, and that despite her pleas for Mussa to back off, the victim began screaming, then punching her, until Christophe was forced to use a small pocket knife stored in the center console of her car to protect herself.
Mussa says the defendant’s account is untrue, including the reported use of a pocket-knife. She explains:
“I was faced with a kitchen knife that the aggressor and trespasser had in her hand while her vehicle was parked in front of my home. When I approached the aggressor and trespasser’s vehicle window to ask that she leave my property, she sat there with her head tilted towards me, while waving the kitchen knife in a malicious demeanor. I then said to her through the window, ‘You need to leave.’ The aggressor and trespasser then proceeded to exit her vehicle and wave the kitchen knife in my face while questioning me aggressively in regards to why she should leave.”
The victim says that she did tussle Christophe, but she only did so after being threatened with a blade.
“We began to argue for no more than a minute until I felt extremely threatened and struck,” Mussa explained. “I was afraid to turn my back on an armed, angry, and seemingly violent person. So, I took the initiative to use a forceful handle on her by attempting to take her down and knock the knife free, which unfortunately did not work. The aggressor and trespasser began slashing me with the kitchen knife repeatedly until I was completely weakened and bloody. I backed up. Shocked, I said, ‘Why would you stab me?’ She appeared to have no remorse. I was stabbed from my abdomen up to my head. I then removed my own shirt to stop the bleeding from my head while I shouted my prayers to God so hard before losing consciousness.”
When asked why she’s sharing her story now, she responded:
“Amongst the extensive physical damage I have endured, coming to peace with myself mentally has unfortunately been a struggle. The accounts that have been circulating regarding what took place made it difficult to carry on.”
Solange told NoDef that she is proud of the way that her friend and partner has handled the situation.
“Watching Armina’s strength, courage, grace, and positivity during this time of hardship has been nothing short of a miracle. She is a true reflection of the word, survivor, and a testament of resilience. I couldn’t be more proud of my dear friend.”
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(Photo Source: Armina Twitter, Solange Instagram, Times-Picaynne)
