Funk Flex Responds to Knicks Arena Altercation With Shadow Stokes

Hot 97 DJ Funk Flex has publicly responded to a heated altercation at Madison Square Garden, where the New York Knicks played the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 20, 2026. Two sides now hold opposing accounts of what happened, and both are being aired in public.

The fight involved Shadow Stokes, a music executive, and TT Torrez, a former Hot 97 radio personality who is Stokes's wife. TMZ reported that the chaotic exchange was captured on video. On the morning of Oct. 21, Flex posted on Instagram to deny reports that he had been physically harmed. Rolling Stone reported that his post included the line "YOU WISH I GOT PUNCHED IN THE FACE!"

Flex's version puts Stokes at the centre of the trouble. He claimed that Stokes threw a drink at him and urged him to punch Stokes, so that Stokes could take civil action. He also accused Stokes of having an "active case" against him, and of trying to "bait" him into a payout. He called Stokes an "ambulance chaser," a slang term for a lawyer who hunts for injury claims. Flex shared a screenshot of an email from TMZ asking about the incident, along with footage of the run-in. He said he would speak in depth about it on his Hot 97 radio show on Oct. 22.

Torrez has given a different account through a representative. A statement issued on her behalf accuses Flex of physically assaulting her and violently shoving her during the altercation. Her representative said the short clip circulating online does not show the full story, and that Stokes was defending Torrez. The representative also said Torrez filed a police report online on the evening of Oct. 20.

The dispute has a history that goes back to the radio station. Torrez worked alongside Flex at Hot 97 for several years before leaving in 2025. Her representative says she endured ongoing harassment, intimidation and bullying from Flex. The representative also says that treatment led to a settlement with MediaCo Hot 97, which includes a non-disparagement agreement, a clause in which both sides agree not to criticise each other in public. According to the representative, Flex's recent comments breach that agreement. Those claims come from Torrez's side, and Flex has not addressed them.

Stokes also has a link to Flex's music career. He was a co-executive producer, a credit for the person who oversees a project's making and funding, on Flex's 2005 Carshow Tour CD and DVD. Koch Records distributed that release.

For now, the two accounts are being made in separate statements, and neither side has described the events in court. Flex's radio comments on Oct. 22 are the next scheduled public word from him.