Final yr, music producer Rodney Jones Jr.—recognized professionally as Lil Rod—filed a lawsuit towards Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging sexual assault and grooming on the a part of the hip-hop mogul, in addition to improper fee for his manufacturing work on Diddy’s 2023 LP, The Love Album: Off the Grid. Now, in accordance with paperwork considered by Pitchfork, a New York federal decide has dismissed 5 of Jones’ 9 fees—together with these having to do with racketeering, emotional damages, and breach of contract—whereas selecting to uphold his sexual assault, premises legal responsibility, and Trafficking Victims Prevention Act (TVPA) claims towards Diddy and his chief of workers, Kristina Khorram.
In his unique lawsuit, Jones described being drugged, compelled to rent prostitutes, and made to take part in nonconsensual intercourse acts with them whereas engaged on The Love Album. He additionally claimed that he was not correctly paid for his work on that file, and that Diddy, Khorram, Diddy’s son Justin Dior Combs, former Motown Data CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam, and Common Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge have been all concerned in a racketeering enterprise.
U.S. District Choose J. Paul Oetken filed his order for partial dismissal on March 24, stating that Jones’ unique grievance and two subsequent amendments didn’t display adequate enterprise or property damages to represent a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, and that there was no clear hyperlink between the Love Album non-payment declare and any suspected racketeering exercise.
In his movement, the decide additionally described filings by Jones’ legal professional, Tyrone Blackburn, as “replete with inaccurate statements of legislation, conclusory accusations, and inappropriate advert hominem assaults on opposing counsel.” In a press release to Pitchfork, Blackburn wrote, “A win is a win; trying ahead to discovery.” He added, “I respect Choose Oetken’s order and opinion. We view this as a win. Defendants wished a complete dismissal and so they did not get it. Sean Combs and KK [Kristina Khorram] are each dealing with civil TVPA claims, and we get to start discovery. Sean Combs and KK doesn’t need me to do discovery. I do know the place all the our bodies are buried and I’ve a HUGE shovel. Time to begin digging!”
Diddy had beforehand filed a movement to dismiss Jones’ lawsuit totally in August 2024. He has repeatedly demonstrated himself as unafraid to take retaliatory authorized motion, having lately sued each NBCUniversal Media—over the Peacock documentary Diddy: The Making of a Unhealthy Boy—and a person who claimed to be in possession of incriminating footage from the rapper’s notorious “freak-off” events.
Although a rape lawsuit towards Diddy and Jay-Z was lately withdrawn by their nameless accuser, the previous stays accused of sexual assault, battery, grooming, and different crimes in dozens of civil lawsuits. He’ll stand trial on federal intercourse trafficking fees in Could.
In the event you or somebody you understand has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to succeed in out for assist:
RAINN Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline
https://rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Disaster Textual content Line
SMS: Textual content “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
