A former male employee has filed a case against Sean “Diddy” Combs for alleged sexual assault in New York Monday, Variety reported.
Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones has taken legal action against the entertainment mogul and accused him of sexual assault during the time he was working for him, according to Variety. This marks the fifth lawsuit of its kind against Combs. The suit was filed in the Southern District of New York. He alleges a pattern of unwanted sexual advances and that Combs pressured him into hiring sex workers and participating in illicit activities.
Jones’s tenure with Combs spanned over a year, from Sept. 2022 to Nov. 2023, Variety reported. He recounted instances of being drugged, exposed to illegal activities, and coerced into lying to law enforcement to cover up violent incidents, Variety reported. There were also allegations involving other celebrities and an account of being groomed for sexual exploitation. Jones alleges that Combs displayed a pattern of reckless behavior, including flaunting firearms and admitting to past violent acts.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sued for Sexual Assault by Former Producer https://t.co/rmLEveZfUM
— Variety (@Variety) February 27, 2024
The lawsuit seeks $30 million in damages, implicating not only Combs but also a circle of associates and high-profile figures in the music industry. The suit does not shy away from naming names, including individuals such as Combs’ son Justin, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge and former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam, among others, suggesting their complicity in what Jones terms a “RICO enterprise.” (RELATED: Diddy Steps Down From Revolt Chairman Role Amid Sexual Assault Lawsuits)
Combs’s legal representative, Shawn Holley, denies the allegations. “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 billion lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday,” she said, according to Variety. “His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines. We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”