Funk Flex Denies Physical Harm After Heated Altercation at Madison Square Garden Knicks Game

Veteran Hot 97 radio host Funkmaster Flex has publicly pushed back against accounts of a confrontation at Madison Square Garden, rejecting claims that he sustained physical injuries during a dispute with music executive Shadow Stokes and former radio colleague TT Torrez. The incident occurred during the New York Knicks' NBA regular-season opener on Tuesday, October 20, as the team held an NBA Championship ring ceremony, according to reporting by Rolling Stone Music.

Taking to social media on Wednesday morning, October 21, the veteran disc jockey insisted that circulating chatter about him being injured was entirely inaccurate. In an online statement, Flex wrote, "YOU WISH I GOT PUNCHED IN THE FACE!" He went on to assert that Stokes was attempting to provoke a violent reaction to justify subsequent civil litigation, stating, "I GUESS I GOT THESE LABEL GUYS KINDA ANGRY! THEY WANNA SUE WHEN THEY DONT GET THEY WAY!"

In additional online remarks cited by Rolling Stone Music, Flex alleged that Stokes threw a drink toward him and verbally challenged him to throw a punch. Flex characterized the encounter as an effort to trap him into paying out a settlement, calling Stokes an "ambulance chaser" who was attempting to "bait" him. Flex also referenced an existing legal dispute, asserting that Stokes maintains an active case against him.

A contrasting narrative emerged from Torrez, an entertainment personality who worked alongside Flex at Hot 97 for several years before departing the station in 2025. Torrez, who is married to Stokes, issued a formal statement through a representative to TMZ claiming that the altercation turned violent when Flex allegedly targeted her directly.

According to Torrez's representative, what began as a verbal disagreement between Stokes and Flex quickly intensified. The representative stated to TMZ that Flex shoved Torrez violently during the encounter, calling the incident deeply disturbing and traumatic. Torrez's spokesperson further asserted that short video clips circulating across social platforms fail to depict the entire context of the confrontation, maintaining that Stokes was acting to defend Torrez.

The representative also claimed that Torrez experienced prolonged workplace harassment, intimidation, and bullying from Flex during their tenure together at the New York radio outlet. That previous dispute reportedly resulted in a settlement with station owner MediaCo Hot 97 and a mutual non-disparagement agreement, which Torrez's representative claimed Flex violated through his public remarks following the arena altercation.

According to the account provided by Torrez's spokesperson to TMZ, Torrez submitted an online police report regarding the encounter on Tuesday night. Flex indicated online that he plans to address the situation in greater detail during his Thursday, October 22, broadcast on Hot 97. Neither Flex, Stokes, nor Torrez responded immediately to requests for comment from Rolling Stone Music.