Sean “Diddy” Combs has been hit with a new sexual assault lawsuit, this time by a producer who accuses the music mogul of harassing and trafficking him.
Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, in a lawsuit filed on Monday in New York federal court, alleges he was forced to engage in sex acts by Combs and solicit sex workers for him for over a year while he was working for the Bad Boy Records founder on his latest album.
In a statement, Shawn Holley, a lawyer for Combs, called the lawsuit “pure fiction.”
“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,” Holley added. “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”
The complaint marks at least the fifth suit filed against Combs since his former longtime partner Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura and was once under his label, sued him in November for sexual assault. Cassie, who reached a settlement with Combs, accused him of repeatedly raping and physically abusing her for nearly a decade. Combs has denied the allegations, which have also come from an unidentified woman who was a minor at the time of the alleged assault and Joi Dickerson-Neal, who briefly appeared in one of Combs’ music videos, among others.
According to the complaint, Combs forcibly touched Jones as part of his “pattern and practice” of engaging in sexual misconduct, which extended to sexually trafficking and drugging the producer.
“Mr. Jones believes Mr. Combs drugged him,” the complaint states. “Mr. Jones recalls waking up naked, dizzy, and confused. He was in bed with two sex workers and Mr. Combs.”
Jones alleges Combs was “grooming him to pass him off to his friends.”
The complaint includes several photos of parties at Combs’ house in which minors and sex workers were allegedly trafficked and supplied drugs, as well as alleged sex acts he says he was forced by the music mogul to engage in.
The suit also names Combs’ chief of staff, Kristina Krorram; his son, Justin; Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge and the label; former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam and the label; and Combs Enterprises, among several others. They are accused of conspiring with Combs and profiting off of his alleged crimes in a RICO enterprise, which is essentially organized crime.
“The members of the RICO enterprise all share a common purpose: to enrich themselves financially and sexually at the expense of producers, musicians, writers, creators, and artists by maximizing Defendants’ revenues through fraudulent means,” the complaint states. “Defendants benefitted financially from their scheme to defraud Plaintiff, by intimidating Plaintiff with threats of violence, threats of isolation from the music and entertainment industry, threats of nonpayment for work completed, fake promises of cash payments, producer of the year Grammy awards, and guaranteed access to future projects.”
The complaint brings claims for assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of sex trafficking laws, among others. Jones seeks at least $30 million.