Diddy is trying to chip away at the mass of lawsuits against him, filing to dismiss producer Lil Rod’s suit. Now, Lil Rod, a.k.a. Rodney Jones, is speaking out for the first time.
Diddy calls ‘pure fiction’
August 26, 2024: Lawyers for Sean “Diddy†Combs filed a motion to dismiss the suit brought by producer Lil Rod, who previously accused the hip-hop mogul of sexually harassing, sexually assaulting, drugging, and threatening him. Rod also accused Diddy of being part of a RICO enterprise — or an organized-crime group — that aided his actions, consisting of Love Records, Motown Records, Universal Music Group, and their execs. Now, Diddy’s attorney Erica Wolff is calling Rod’s claims “pure fiction†and accusing him of seeking a settlement payout (after he sued for $30 million). “There was no RICO conspiracy and Mr. Jones was not threatened, groomed, assaulted, or trafficked,†Wolff said in a statement. “We look forward to proving — in a court of law — that all of Mr. Jones’s claims are made-up and must be dismissed.â€
Lil Rod claimed Diddy started abusing him in September 2022, after Diddy tapped the producer to work on his The Love Album: Off the Grid. Among Rod’s allegations, he said Diddy forced him to take drugs, hire sex workers, and engage in group sex and that Diddy would often grope him without consent. Rod also claimed he was never paid for his work on the album. Diddy’s lawyers, in the latest filing, say Rod “fails to state a single viable claim†against him and the defendants, arguing the allegations are false and lack facts.
Diddy is also facing half a dozen other lawsuits with allegations including sexual assault, battery, and drugging. He settled with singer and ex Cassie in May. At the same time, federal investigators have been engaged in a sex-trafficking probe against the mogul.
Lil Rod breaks his silence
August 27, 2024: Lil Rod is speaking out about his lawsuit against Diddy for the first time. After the mogul filed to dismiss his suit, Rod told Rolling Stone that Diddy is “a monster.†“He’ll do whatever is necessary to get exactly what he wants,†Rod said. “He doesn’t take no for an answer. He [told me] himself, ‘I’ll smack my mama.’ Anybody who can say that even jokingly is a monster.†Rod also claimed he’s faced threats since filing his lawsuit that made him invest in security, and that other musicians do not want to work with him. “I’ve had many nights and weeks and months of suicidal thoughts,†he said, adding that he has three therapists. And despite Diddy’s new filing, Rod has resolved to continue his fight. “I just hope that all this turns around for me so I can get back to doing the music I love,†he said. “It’s killing me. It’s taking me out not doing it.â€