Diddy‘s ongoing lawsuits for sexual assault and misconduct have blemished a lot of names in the music business, including a former major-label executive.
In February, a producer named Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones accused the New York City native (real name Sean Combs) of sexual harassment as well as drugging and threatening him over the course of a year.
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Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that ex-Motown Records chief executive officer Ethiopia Habtemariam was among those involved in a drug- and sex-trafficking ring for the mogul’s alleged “RICO enterprise.” More specifically, she was accused of being aware that alcoholic beverages served at his parties were laced with illegal substances.
Jones and his lawyer Tyrone Blackburn have since dropped her from the case, and the 44-year-old has now set the record straight about her involvement in the controversy via a statement shared with AllHipHop on Monday (April 1).
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“I am informed and believe that Mr. Blackburn has falsely represented to various social media sites and other media outlets that I agreed to ‘testify against’ Mr. Combs,” she shared. “This is completely untrue. I have no personal knowledge of any alleged wrongdoing by Mr. Combs and there is nothing I could testify to that would be against his interest.
“Being falsely accused of criminal conduct is deeply upsetting to me. I did no wrong. I never saw or participated in any alleged racketeering enterprise, and I never saw, aided or, abetted, or tried to conceal any sex trafficking activity. In short, there is no basis for any of the claims asserted against me, and I should never have been named a defendant in this lawsuit.”
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She concluded: “My counsel provided a revised declaration that addressed the topics that Mr. Blackburn addressed and corrected his false narrative. I am aware that Mr. Blackburn found my truthful version to be unsatisfactory to him and he presented yet another version that again presented a false narrative.”
According to a trigger warning that prefaces the court documents of Lil Rod’s case, the lawsuit contains “highly graphic information of a sexual nature, including sexual assault. Additionally, there are graphic images of the aftermath of a shooting, redacted images of sexual intercourse, redacted images of minors, sex workers, and prostitutes, details of sex trafficking, the illegal distribution of guns, and drugs.”
Diddy has vehemently denied all claims, with his lawyer Shawn Holley sharing the following statement with HipHopDX: “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30million 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.
“We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with [Lil Rod]’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls.”
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Prior to that, Diddy and singer Aaron Hall were accused of raping two women “in 1990 or 1991.” Court documents state that the plaintiff, listed in the filing as Jane Doe, and a friend were invited back to the R&B singer’s apartment following an industry event. She claims Diddy “coerced” her into sex and that Hall later “barged into the room, pinned her down and forced [her] to have sex with him.”
Doe claims her friend, who is not involved in the filing, said she “had been forced to have sex with Combs and Hall in another room.” Furthermore, she claims an “irate” Combs visited the woman and her friend again days later, “choking Jane Doe to the point that she passed out,” resulting in her seeking medical treatment.
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“He was worried that she would tell the girl he was with at the time what he and Hall had done to them,” the complaint reads.
Denying the claims, a spokesperson for Diddy told HipHopDX: “These are fabricated claims falsely alleging misconduct from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute. This is nothing but a money grab. Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for anonymous accusers who lie without conscience or consequence for financial benefit.
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“The New York Legislature surely did not intend or expect the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited by scammers. The public should be skeptical and not rush to accept these bogus allegations.”
This became the third sexual assault lawsuit filed against Diddy in the space of a week. He first faced allegations of rape and domestic violence from Cassie, who he dated for a decade until 2018. He denied all allegations and quickly settled the suit, with his lawyer saying the decision “is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
The second person to accuse Diddy of sexual assault was Joi Dickerson-Neal, who claims that the rapper and producer drugged and raped her in the early ’90s, while also filming the act.
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He denied these allegations as well, saying through his spokesperson: “This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head. Ms. Dickerson’s 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more.”
In late February, prior to the most recent claims by Lil Rod, Diddy claimed he’s a victim of cancel culture in a motion to dismiss the gang-rape lawsuit brought against him.
