Earlier this year, Ciara sued Future (legal name: Nayvadius Wilburn) for alleged slander and libel. On April 8, according to court records viewed by Pitchfork, Future filed an answer to her lawsuit. While that filing has yet to surface publicly, TMZ reports that Future has filed a countersuit arguing that he couldn't have damaged his ex-fiancée's reputation because her profile has shrunk too much. Pitchfork has reached out to Future and Ciara's lawyers for comment.

According to TMZ, in the countersuit, Future contended that Ciara's career has been dormant in recent years. He reportedly acknowledged that her fan base was "reasonably large" while also describing her last album, 2015's Jackie, as a "flop." He further reportedly said she had been lacking in award victories since 2013.

TMZ cites The Jasmine Brand, which reports that Future also argued in his countersuit that Ciara's lawsuit was too late for the statute of limitations. He reportedly demanded Ciara stop making false statements about him, pay his legal fees, and pay unspecified punitive damages.

For Ciara's part, earlier this week, she decided not to say Future's name while announcing the 2016 Billboard Music Award nominees on "Good Morning America," as Us Weekly reports.

Ciara's initial lawsuit against Future demanded $15 million in damages. Her complaint cited interviews and tweets in which Future seemed to challenge her mothering skills. She also contested his tweets about his access to their child.