Judge Dismisses 5 Charges Against Diddy In $30M Lawsuit
Judge Dismisses 5 Charges Against Diddy In $30M Sexual Assault Lawsuit
As Diddy continues to be hit with lawsuits and sexual allegations, there has been a slight reprieve.
A few of the claims that came from former producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones in February 2024,—when he sought a $30 million settlement— have been dropped by Judge J. Paul Oetken, according to Variety.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, it accused the fallen Bad Boy mogul of groping Jones, encouraging him to have sex with a man, and forcing him to hire and have sex with prostitutes.
Jones also blamed Universal, the parent company of Diddy’s Love Records, for participating in a RICO because it failed to protect him from abuse at the hands of Diddy, his chief of staff Kristina Khorrum, and his son, Justin.
He adds that the assault came in 2022 and 2023 while he was working on The Love Album: Off the Grid —on which he has nine production credits— during his travels from Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles, Florida, New York, and even on a yacht in the Virgin Islands.
Despite allegedly having footage of Diddy providing laced alcoholic drinks to minors and sex workers, his defense lawyers are what ushered in the legal proceedings.
“Litigation should never be the first option for a dispute. We filed because of the refusal to negotiate on the other side,” Jones’ attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn told People.
From the beginning, Diddy’s lawyers made it clear that they wouldn’t entertain the lawsuit, which they claimed to be full of lies and had evidence to prove it.
“Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. 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,” Diddy’s lawyer Shawn Holley told People. “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”
The dismissed charges include RICO, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract, and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). However, the TVPA claims against Diddy and Khorram were granted, as well as the sexual assault and liability claims.
Despite five charges being dropped, Jones’ lawyer still counts it as a success because some stuck.
“A win is a win. Play time is over. Now, it is time for discovery,” he told People.
Diddy’s federal sex trafficking and racketeering case is set to begin May 5.
