Sean “Diddy” Combs was sued in federal court Monday by the producer of his latest album, who accused the music mogul of sexually assaulting, drugging and threatening him over a period of more than a year. Producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones says in the lawsuit that he lived and traveled with Combs from September 2022 to November 2023, during which time he recorded videos and footage of Combs, his staff and others “engaging in serious misconduct” recorded audios for hours. action.”
The allegations include that Combs forced Jones to hire sex workers and pressured him to have unwanted sex with them and others, and that Combs served laced alcohol to people attending parties at his home.
The lawsuit includes screenshots of gatherings held at Combs’ homes, including underage girls and sex workers, some of whom were given drug-laced drinks at Combs’ behest.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, also names Combs’ adult son, Justin; his chief of staff, Christina Khorram; Sir Lucian Grainge, CEO of Universal Music Group; and former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam as defendants. Jones says in the lawsuit that Grainge, Habtemariam, Motown Records, Love Records and Universal Music Group worked with Combs in what was effectively a “RICO enterprise” that failed to “adequately monitor, warn or monitor” Combs, his son and his actions. failed”. his chief of staff. A RICO entity is any individual or group acting together to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
Jones is seeking $30 million.
Representatives for Justin Combs, Khorram, Grainge, Motown Records and Love Records did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Habtemariam could not immediately be reached for comment.
Combs’ attorney, Shawn Holley, called the allegations “pure fiction.”
“We have overwhelming, irrefutable evidence that his claims are completely false,” Holley said. “We will deal with these outlandish allegations in court and take all necessary action against those who make them.”
The costume is the latest in the series Damning accusations against Combs.
According to Jones’ claim, in or around August 2022, Combs called Jones and asked him to produce several songs on his Grammy-nominated R&B album The Love Album: Off the Grid, due out in September 2023.
“Mr. Jones agreed and since then his life has been badly affected,” he said.
Jones alleges that Combs sexually assaulted and molested her while living with her at Combs’ homes in Florida, Los Angeles and New York, as well as on Combs’ chartered yacht in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The harassment and assault allegedly included “unwanted and unauthorized touching and touching of her anus continuously.”
Jones allegedly says she was forced to work in Combs’ bathroom because Combs showered naked in a glass cubicle.
When she raised concerns about Khorram’s behavior with Combs’ chief of staff, he “dismissed them as friendly horseplay, saying the actions were Mr. Combs’ way of ‘showing he likes you,'” the suit says.
The lawsuit accuses Khoramm of helping Combs sexually harass Jones and working with Combs to get him to accept a homosexual relationship.
Jones also claims she was forced to call and have sex with sex workers to please Combs.
To help with the alleged recruitment, Jones said Combs provided her with an “exclusive Bad Boy baseball cap” and asked her to wear it at a Miami establishment as a “signal to any sex workers she approached” that Combs was in town. He sent Jones to recruit them, the suit says.
Jones alleges that Combs, whom he describes in the suit as “powerful and demanding” and someone who wouldn’t take no for an answer, used his power as one of the most influential people in hip-hop and the business to intimidate him, including using threats. Causing bodily harm if Jones does not comply with his demands.
At one point, Jones claims Combs forced her to watch as he showed off a gun and bragged about getting away with shooting people. In a separate incident, Jones claims Combs said he was responsible for a 1999 shootout with rapper Sheen, born Jamal Barrow, at a New York nightclub. A jury acquitted Combs of weapons possession and bribery charges in connection with the incident, while Barrow was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Jones was intimidated by Combs and allegedly felt she couldn’t say no to him.
“Mr. Combs has consistently demonstrated that he wields considerable power in the music industry and in law enforcement,” the lawsuit states.
Jones says in the lawsuit that he has video and audio evidence to support some of the claims. The lawsuit alleges that Combs demanded that Jones “constantly record him” and that on several occasions Combs took Jones’ cell phone to record himself. As a result, Jones claims he has hundreds of hours of video and audio recordings of Combs, his staff and guests “engaging in serious illegal activity.”
Jones says in the suit that Combs also drugged him on Feb. 2, 2023.
In response to a request for comment, Jones’ attorney Tyrone Blackburn used the Latin phrase “res ipsa loquitur,” which loosely translates as “the thing speaks for itself,” to refer to the lawsuit.
Jones says in the lawsuit that he was “under contract of employment” and was not compensated for the songs he produced on The Love Album. As a result, Combs, Love Records, Motown Records and Universal Music Group were all unjustly enriched at his expense, the suit says.. The labels did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Combs is being sued by four women who accuse him of sexual harassment. Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, said Combs physically abused her and forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while she masturbated and recorded the encounters. A lawsuit it was resolved a day after it was issued. Combs’ attorney, Ben Brafman, said the settlement “does not admit any wrongdoing in any way.”
Following Cassie’s lawsuit, two other women, Lisa Gardner and Joey Dickerson-Neal, filed lawsuits alleging Combs sexually assaulted them. And a woman identified in court documents as Jane Doe Combs and two other men gang-raped her when she was 17, she said and Combs was 34.
Those three cases against Combs are still pending. In a statement in December, he dismissed the accusations saying “enough is enough” and called the allegations against him “painful”.
“I will be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the terrible things alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and the truth,” he said in his statement.
The mounting allegations are damaging Combs’ legacy and business empire. A day after Ventura filed his lawsuit, Three of Combs’ former artists expressed their support. Same month, Combs He resigned from the position of chairman of Revolt TV. in December, Hulu has canceled the reality show it was supposed to follow his family. And in January, Combs withdrew its lawsuit against Diageo as part of the settlement with the London-based spirits giant he accused of racism.