VH1 is cutting all ties with Black Ink Crew New York star Ceaser Emanuel after a disturbing video showing him hitting a dog surfaced online.
The shocking video was from a Ring camera and shows the 43-year-old hitting the dog with a folding chair multiple times, as well as locking the dog in a cage, and pushing it down a hill.
“We have made the decision to cut ties with Ceaser Emanuel from Black Ink Crew New York,” VH1 shared in a statement Thursday, according to TMZ.
“Since next season was close to finishing production, this decision will not impact the upcoming season.”
The reality star’s lawyer, Walter Mosley, said that “Ceaser is an avid dog lover” and he was trying to stop aggressive dogs from attacking other animals.
“Ceaser is an avid dog lover and has many dogs and has had in his lifetime, many dogs and other pets,” Mosley told PEOPLE.
“This was an unfortunate situation as I understand it, where there were a number of other aggressive dogs attacking smaller dogs and probably was a lapse of judgment as to how to appropriately break it up, break up that interaction.”
“In some ways, what was not seen in that video, was him protecting the smaller dogs, he just likely didn’t do this in the best way, so he’s seeking assistance and help to make sure that as a dog owner, he’s properly managing it, and understands how to interact in more healthy ways with all types of dogs and all of his dogs, but this is certainly a situation that he had addressed a long time ago,” the lawyer shared with the outlet.
“It’s unfortunate that a video that’s probably almost a year old or older surfaced and created such a disruption.”
“It’s something that we’ve addressed and been addressing for some time.”
Fellow Black Ink Crew New York star, Donna Lombardi, called out her co-star on Instagram.
“If you can treat a dog like this, it shows how sick of a person you truly are,” she wrote.
“I don’t even get into the life of this man, but this video made me so upset. Anyone who knows me, knows I LOVE animals. Especially dogs.”
Emanuel had been a cast member since the series kicked off in 2013.
Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.