Final 12 months, music producer Rodney Jones Jr.—identified professionally as Lil Rod—filed a lawsuit in opposition to Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging sexual assault and grooming on the a part of the hip-hop mogul, in addition to improper cost for his manufacturing work on Diddy’s 2023 LP, The Love Album: Off the Grid. Now, in response to paperwork seen by Pitchfork, a New York federal choose 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 in opposition to Diddy and his chief of employees, Kristina Khorram.
In his authentic 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 Information CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam, and Common Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge had been all concerned in a racketeering enterprise.
U.S. District Decide J. Paul Oetken filed his order for partial dismissal on March 24, stating that Jones’ authentic criticism and two subsequent amendments didn’t reveal enough 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 choose additionally described filings by Jones’ lawyer, 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 Decide Oetken’s order and opinion. We view this as a win. Defendants needed a complete dismissal they usually didn’t get it. Sean Combs and KK [Kristina Khorram] are each going through 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 the entire our bodies are buried and I’ve a HUGE shovel. Time to begin digging!”
Diddy had beforehand filed a movement to dismiss Jones’ lawsuit fully in August 2024. He has repeatedly demonstrated himself as unafraid to take retaliatory authorized motion, having not too long ago sued each NBCUniversal Media—over the Peacock documentary Diddy: The Making of a Bad 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 in opposition to Diddy and Jay-Z was recently 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 Might.
In case you or somebody you realize has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to achieve out for help:
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
