For years, it was mere off-hand remarks heard throughout sure corners of the music and vogue industries — particularly, the hip-hop and sportswear areas the place Sean “Diddy” Combs (née Puff Daddy, née P. Diddy) emerged within the mid-’90s and, for some time, appeared to personal. The rumors of his excesses and ways would bubble to the floor in a tweet or radio present revelation, however what appeared implausible about such a high-profile participant has now materialized into headline-making allegations involving intercourse trafficking of minors, sexual misconduct, pressured druggings and compromising footage of celebrities held as blackmail.
Since November, there have been 5 lawsuits leveled in opposition to the rapper-turned-mogul who’s now on the heart of a federal investigation. One bombshell lawsuit that can, at naked minimal, mangle Diddy’s profession, got here from a younger man who was welcomed into his interior circle and, in accordance with that producer, exited the mogul’s milieu after he was allegedly groomed, abused and exploited. He additionally claims the almost billionaire Combs stiffed him on cost, publishing shares and royalties.
In 2022, Ronnie Jones Jr., musician and producer often known as Lil Rod, was employed by Combs to work on what would change into his 2023 album, The Love Album: Off the Grid, Diddy’s first studio report since 2006. Jones had segued into hip-hop manufacturing from early gospel work — in Chicago, he grew up enjoying music along with his native church, sitting behind the drum package from the age of 5; by 13 years previous, he was recording in studios in entrance of a piano or on the bass guitar, which turned his specialty, as he instructed Dying of the Clout Chasers TV in an interview.
By 18, Jones had carried out on 30-plus albums. By 20, he moved towards R&B and hip-hop studio classes. Quickly sufficient, his résumé featured credit on tracks by Jack Harlow, Mary J. Blige and T-Ache. In interviews about his work, Jones’ ardour for music, manufacturing and artistry is obvious.
“I like the entire artistic course of. I simply like it,” Jones instructed the outlet when requested concerning the joys of a artistic. “The very best factor that ever may have occurred to me was having a fall and getting again up. Look, at any time when I lose, I attempt to determine I need to lose How can I strengthen and likewise, what was the message?”
Jones is finally credited with producing 9 tracks on the album, the fruit of the 14 months ending in November 2023 spent working with Combs within the studio; the album contains a huge checklist of A-list visitor stars one would count on from a prime trade participant’s huge return. Over the year-plus he spent serving to make it, the artist and producer developed an unconventional relationship — Jones was residing and touring with the rapper, but additionally turned his videographer within the day-to-day, wading into the jet-set interior circle of one of many music enterprise’s greatest names.
What occurred over these months and the way it led to a high-profile FBI raid on Diddy’s properties is on the heart of the lawsuit’s accusations. Jones’ case was filed on Feb. 26 in New York federal courtroom and he seeks $30 million in restitution. Within the prolonged submitting, Jones ranges damaging allegations in opposition to Diddy, saying that whereas working with him he was sexually assaulted, allegedly pressured by Combs to interact in intercourse acts, made to solicit intercourse staff, drugged, humiliated and says he was repeatedly groped on his anus and genitals whereas in Diddy’s orbit.
Jones additionally claims he’s being cheated out of over $50,000 for his work on Combs’ album. And, amongst his many allegations and accounts of troubling conditions, the submitting additionally states that his “life has been detrimentally impacted ever since” he traveled with Combs backwards and forwards to the mogul’s properties in Los Angeles, New York, Florida and to his yacht within the U.S. Virgin Islands whereas beneath an “implied work settlement.” The mogul has additionally threatened the producer for greater than a yr, he says.
It was scarcely seen then, however three weeks earlier than submitting the huge lawsuit, Jones had begun a GoFundMe on the lookout for monetary assist to tackle Diddy, whom he indicated in no unsure phrases was ripping him off.
“I discover myself preventing for my producer’s charges (cash), publishing shares, and royalties for works completed on this challenge,” Jones wrote in his plea for funding. “For the higher a part of the previous 6 months, my crew and I’ve prolonged each alternative we knew potential to have these issues addressed and resolved (pretty) however in non-public. Nevertheless, Diddy’s negotiation ways, to stall communications, dry out (my) funds, and have me negotiating out of desperation or with no actual technique of preventing again has pressured me right here!”
Of the funding drive’s $50,000 objective, $4,965 had been raised as of April 11. The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Jones through e-mail however messages haven’t been returned.
Every thing in Jones’ grievance quantities to bupkis, legal professionals representing Combs instructed the press after the preliminary submitting: “Mr. Jones is nothing greater than a con man, shamelessly on the lookout for a straightforward and wholly undeserved payday,” legal professional Shawn Holley stated on the time. “We have now indeniable, incontrovertible proof that his claims are full fabrications. Our makes an attempt to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ legal professional, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored. We look ahead to addressing these ridiculous claims in courtroom and intend to take all applicable motion in opposition to all who’re trying to hawk them.”
For Diddy, this isn’t a one-off authorized headache. The submitting and tsunami of salacious headlines round it got here simply weeks after he settled a case for an undisclosed sum along with his ex-partner, the recording artist Cassie. The 2 events settled simply sooner or later after she filed her explosive lawsuit accusing Combs of rape and ongoing bodily abuse. Wanting on the case’s facet by facet reveals similarities within the accusations leveled in opposition to Combs within the form of the supposed abuse, together with the precise allegations of pressured encounters with intercourse staff.
Combs has denied all the claims made in opposition to him in 4 lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct, a few of which had been filed beneath the New York Grownup Survivors Act‘s one-year window for grownup victims to file a fits in opposition to alleged abusers. In December, previous to Jones’ courtroom submitting, the mogul took to Instagram to make an announcement to followers refuting all claims: “I’ve sat silently and watched folks attempt to assassinate my character, destroy my status and my legacy,” he stated in December. “Sickening allegations have been made in opposition to me by people on the lookout for a fast payday. Let me be completely clear: I didn’t do any of the terrible issues being alleged.”
The Lil Rod go well with additionally namedrops different main trade gamers and celebrities — even Prince Harry makes a passing look within the submitting (the British Royal faces no accusations or prices). And since Jones’ go well with went public, hypothesis has permeated all ends of gossip media, with now quotidian tales about Diddy’s rival rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s reactions to the mogul’s woes (the place he introduced Jay-Z into the dialog), and different questions round who knew what or who could also be on what tape.
Abuse allegations additionally surfaced in opposition to 50 Cent after it was reported that the musician was searching for sole custody of their son his ex-girlfriend Daphne Jod was named in Lil Rod’s lawsuit. Pleasure was named within the go well with alongside Combs’ ex-girlfriend Yung Miami as somebody who allegedly obtained monetary compensation for intercourse work with the Unhealthy Boy Information founder. Jackson, through a rep, has referred to as the accusations “false and baseless.”
The go well with additionally alleges the rapper-mogul had a behavior of recording his friends. In accordance with Jones’ grievance, Diddy allegedly would disguise cameras round his properties and was capturing the wealthy and well-known partaking in non-public trysts or maybe, unlawful habits, throughout his alleged “freak off” events. Jones now claims to have his personal recordings from his capability as videographer of Diddy and his crew “partaking in severe criminal activity.” This allegedly contains footage that “Mr. Combs offered laced alcoholic drinks to minors and intercourse staff at his properties,” the go well with claims.
Within the case’s extra 25 pages filed in late March, Jones stated he believes he was being groomed in an try and finally be handed off to Cuba Gooding, Jr. The Oscar winner’s title received a point out within the preliminary go well with however on March 25, Gooding turned a named defendant within the case when 25 pages had been added to the submitting. Combs allegedly “recommended that Cuba ‘get to know’ Mr. Jones higher,” Jones claims, and describes an occasion of being groped by the actor.
Combs’ chief of employees, Kristina Khorram, Common Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge and the rapper’s son, Justin Combs, had been additionally added as defendants within the March 27 replace to the case. This early Spring date was additionally when Combs’ properties had been raided amid sturdy media protection, propelling the story to entrance pages nationwide.
Now, Lil Rod’s allegations in opposition to Combs are set to play out in courtroom. This week, Southern District of New York Decide J. Paul Oetken, who’s presently overseeing the case, issued an order requiring counsel for each events within the case to seem for a phone convention.
April. 11, 10:49 p.m. Up to date to incorporate the complete statatement from Sean Combs’ legal professional Shawn Holley.
