Hip-Hop Mogul Diddy Seeks Dismissal of Lil Rod’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Diddy has filed a motion to dismiss a $30 million lawsuit brought against him by record producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who accused him of ongoing groping and a possible drug-induced assault.
In February, Jones filed the lawsuit, just weeks before federal agents raided two of Diddy’s homes as part of a sex trafficking investigation.
Jones alleges that he was forced to recruit prostitutes and engage in sexual acts for Diddy’s enjoyment and claims to have hundreds of hours of video evidence documenting Diddy’s alleged illegal activities. Diddy has denied all allegations.
At the time of the lawsuit, Diddy, 54, was already facing legal challenges from three women and had lost several commercial deals in the wake of the accusations.
In new court documents filed Monday in Manhattan Federal Court, Diddy responded to Jones’ second amended lawsuit, accusing him of exploiting the star for financial gain.
The filing states: “Jones’ Second Amended Complaint is his third attempt to turn a routine commercial dispute into a sensational RICO [Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] conspiracy.
“Spanning nearly 100 pages, it is filled with exaggerated stories, shameless celebrity name-drops, and irrelevant images. Despite its hyperbole and theatricality, the SAC fails to present a single viable claim against any of the Combs Defendants.
“Full of legally baseless allegations and blatant falsehoods, the SAC’s true purpose is to generate media attention and leverage it to extract a settlement—no surprise, given that his attorney was recently referred to this Court’s Grievance Committee for engaging in a ‘pattern’ of improperly filing cases in federal court to attract media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure them into quick settlements.”
The documents also claim Jones posted a video joking about the lawsuit and the money he expects to receive from Diddy.
“Following his lawyer’s tactics, Jones recently posted a video on the ‘X’ platform with performer ‘Uncle Murda,’ where they laughed about the lawsuit (despite his claims of ‘severe emotional distress’), demanded that Mr. Combs pay him ‘that money by Monday,’ and warned: ‘I’m from Chicago, we don’t play about our business.’
“Like the SAC, Jones’ videotaped threats on social media are part of a calculated effort to promote his personal brand and profit from the exposure. Such tactics have no place in federal court.”
Diddy’s lawyer, Erica Wolff, stated: “Mr. Jones’s lawsuit is pure fiction—a shameless attempt to create media hype and extract a quick settlement.
“There was no RICO conspiracy, and Mr. Jones was not threatened, groomed, assaulted, or trafficked. We look forward to proving—in a court of law—that all of Mr. Jones’s claims are fabricated and must be dismissed.”
Diddy also addressed Jones’ claim that his “business or property” was harmed due to non-payment for services he performed on Diddy’s 2023 album, *The Love Album: Off The Grid*, arguing that Jones failed to prove this under the RICO Act.
The documents further allege that Jones did not provide a primary claim under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, showing that he was forced to commit a sex act in exchange for something of value or was a victim of such an act.
Diddy also contends that Jones failed to detail the alleged sexual assault and harassment claims against him.
Regarding a breach of oral contract argument, Diddy asserts that it is beyond the statute of limitations.
Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, told TMZ: “This is clearly a billing exercise by Combs’ latest set of attorneys, who are late to the game and are attempting to fill their pockets with this Hail Mary motion to dismiss before their client is indicted.”
Diddy denies causing Jones emotional distress and argues that Jones “failed to show [Combs] exercised control over premises where third parties committed alleged assaults.”