Sean “Diddy” Combs Faces Fifth Sexual Assault Lawsuit from Former Male Employee
In the latest legal battle for music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, a former male employee has filed a fifth sexual assault lawsuit against him. Producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed the suit in the Southern District of New York, accusing Combs of making unwanted sexual advances and forcing him to hire sex workers and engage in relations with them.
Jones is seeking $30 million in damages and has named several other parties in the case, claiming they did not adequately monitor or supervise Combs’ actions. These parties include Combs’ son Justin, his chief of staff Kristina Khorram, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam, and numerous record labels. Jones refers to all parties as a “RICO enterprise,” suggesting that they collectively violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
According to the lawsuit obtained by Variety, Jones produced six songs on Combs’ Grammy-nominated album “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” released in September 2023. In the suit, Jones outlines an extensive list of accusations against Combs. He alleges that Combs acquired, used, and distributed illicit drugs, displayed illegal firearms, and laced alcoholic beverages provided to minors and sex workers at his various homes. The suit also mentions the involvement of a rapper and an R&B singer who allegedly engaged in relations with underage girls and sex workers.
Jones claims that he lived with Combs from September 2022 to November 2023 and was repeatedly subjected to sexual harassment by Combs and his associates. He states that he resided with Combs at several of his residences in New York, Los Angeles, Florida, and even on a rented yacht in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
During his time with Combs, Jones alleges that he recorded hours of audio and video footage of illegal activities. He claims to have been constantly subjected to unsolicited and unauthorized groping and touching, even being forced to work in Combs’ bathroom while the mogul showered nude. When Jones raised these issues with Khorram, she dismissed them, saying, “you know, Sean will be Sean,” implying that it was Combs’ way of showing affection.
One of the most shocking claims in the suit is that Jones believes Combs drugged him on February 2, 2023, and woke up naked in bed with Combs and two sex workers. Jones alleges that Combs was grooming him for sex and encouraged him to recruit prostitutes by wearing a Bad Boy baseball cap at a Miami establishment as a signal.
The lawsuit also mentions Combs’ involvement in illegal activities beyond sexual assault. Jones states that Combs boasted about shooting people and getting away with it, revealing that he claimed responsibility for a 1999 shooting at a New York City nightclub with rapper Shyne. While Combs was acquitted of gun possession and bribery charges, Shyne was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Jones further claims that an altercation between Combs and his son Justin at a Los Angeles recording studio resulted in a man being shot in the stomach. Combs allegedly instructed Jones to lie to the police about the incident.
Jones also implicates other celebrities in the suit. He alleges that Combs forced him to watch a video of musician Stevie J engaging in sex with another man, providing screenshots as evidence. Jones further claims that Combs introduced him to actor Cuba Gooding Jr. on his yacht, where Gooding physically groped and fondled him. Jones also accuses City Girls’ Yung Miami, Combs’ on-and-off girlfriend, of instructing her cousin to sexually assault him.
Combs’ lawyer, Shawn Holley, has vehemently denied the allegations, calling Jones a liar seeking an undeserved payday. Holley claims to have overwhelming proof that Jones’ claims are complete lies but has been unable to share this proof with Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, as he refuses to return their calls. Holley states that they will address these allegations in court and take appropriate action against those who make them.
Representatives and legal counsel for Jones and Gooding have not yet responded to Variety’s request for comment.
This is not the first time Combs has faced sexual assault lawsuits. His former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, filed a lawsuit against him in November, followed by two other lawsuits alleging revenge porn and assault. In December, a woman filed a suit accusing Combs of raping her in 2003. Combs has denied all the allegations, stating that “enough is enough” and that he did not commit any of the acts being alleged.
The legal battle surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs continues to unfold, with each new lawsuit adding more complexity to the already controversial case. As the allegations pile up, it remains to be seen how the courts will handle these serious accusations against one of the