French Montana raises $75K to help NYC taxi driver after cab is destroyed in Knicks celebration

NEW YORK — A New York City taxi driver is receiving an outpouring of support after his cab was violently damaged during celebrations following the New York Knicks’ NBA Finals win — and rapper French Montana is leading the effort to help him rebuild his life.

New York taxi vandalized during Knicks celebration

The crowd assaulted 59‑year‑old Noureddine Bitat and left him beside his smashed yellow cab after they jumped on it. Video of the incident quickly went viral, prompting widespread calls for assistance.

French Montana Steps In After Viral Video

French Montana told CBS Mornings the footage “hit a nerve,” explaining that his own father drove a taxi after immigrating from Morocco.

“I just saw a man trying to feed his family,” he said.

The rapper publicly asked for help locating Bitat, then contacted content creator Zachery “MDMotivator” Dereniowski. Together, they partnered with the New York Taxi Workers Alliance to launch a GoFundMe campaign. Within days, more than 2,000 donors helped the fundraiser reach nearly $75,000.

$75,000 Check and One Year of Living Expenses

On Thursday, CBS Mornings exclusively revealed that French Montana personally presented Bitat with a $75,000 check. He also pledged to cover one full year of living expenses while the driver recovers.

Bitat, an Algerian immigrant, told Montana he no longer wants to drive a taxi after the assault. The rapper said he intends to support him “until he figures out what he wants to do.”

“He doesn’t deserve it,” Montana said. “He just happened to be working around the place, and things unfortunately happened to him.”

A Community Effort to Help a Working Father

Montana credited Dereniowski, the taxi workers’ union, and thousands of donors for rallying behind Bitat.

“I want to give a shoutout to my brother, Zach … he got a big platform,” Montana said. “And a shoutout to the taxi union, GoFundMe, and all the people that came together to make this man’s life easy.”

‘Wrong Place at the Wrong Time’

Montana said Bitat had no connection to the Knicks or the celebrations that erupted around him.

“I asked him, ‘Do you even watch the Knicks?’ He said, ‘I don’t even know what the Knicks is,’” Montana recalled. “He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”