Rodney Jones Jr., the music producer also known as Lil Rod, has amended his February lawsuit against Sean”Diddy“Combs to include actor Cuba Gooding Jr. on the list of defendants.
Last month, Jones filed a lawsuit against Diddy, 54, accusing the media mogul of sexually harassing and threatening him for more than a year. The producer claimed he “secured irrefutable evidence” of illicit activities, including Diddy providing mixed alcoholic beverages to minors and sex workers in their homes and the rapper’s acquisition, use and distribution of ecstasy, cocaine, GHB, ketamine, as well as display and distribution of unregistered illegal firearms.
According to court documents obtained by ET, Jones filed the lawsuit in Manhattan Federal District Court, alleging he was subjected to possible drug and rape, ritual humiliation and was bilked out of more than $50,000 for his work in releasing Diddy in September 2023, Album The Love: Off the Grid.
Jones stated that he and Diddy worked together between September 2022 and November 2023, a partnership that resulted in nine songs on the album. The love album, for which Jones is credited as producer. Jones also alleged that he was not paid for “13 months (and) thousands of hours of work.”
In the lawsuit, Jones also accused Gooding, 56, of sexually harassing and assaulting him on a yacht rented by Diddy in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 2023.
On Monday, the producer amended his complaint to name Gooding as an official defendant.
According to the lawsuit, Jones believed Diddy was “grooming” him in an attempt to “pass him off” to Gooding by introducing him to the Oscar-winning actor and leaving the two alone in a studio on Diddy’s yacht.
“Cuba Gooding Jr. began touching, groping and fondling Mr. Jones’ legs, his inner thighs near his groin, his lower back near his buttocks and shoulders,” Jones’ lawsuit alleges.
The complaint includes a photo that allegedly shows Gooding with his arm around Jones, along with a photo that allegedly shows Diddy and Gooding talking on the yacht.
The suit claims that Diddy “did not intervene and stop” Gooding from “sexually assaulting” Jones, who allegedly “forcibly pushed” the actor.
ET has reached out to Gooding’s lawyer for comment.
As mentioned in the complaint, Gooding faced several lawsuits in recent years throughout alleged sexual abuse, rape and forcible touching against more than 30 women.
In June 2023, the Jerry Maguire star resolved accusations that he raped a woman in a New York hotel a decade ago, just as the trial was supposed to begin with jury selection.
In the lawsuit, Jane Doe alleged that Gooding raped her in his hotel room after convincing her to stop by the room so he could change his clothes. Her lawyers, however, insisted that it was consensual sex and that she later bragged to others about having sex with a celebrity.
Minutes after jurors began gathering in the courtroom, a calendar entry in the official court record read: “TRIAL OFF.” It added: “Reason for cancellation (upon consent): the parties have resolved the matter.”
The lawsuit sought $6 million in damages. Gloria Allred, one of several attorneys representing the woman, declined to comment to CBS News about the reported settlement. Other lawyers, including those representing Gooding, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Represented by attorney Tyrone Blackburn, Jones’ lawsuit implicates other celebrities, including rapper Yung Miami, whose unnamed cousin is accused of sexual assault after she allegedly “barged into the bathroom and began groping” Jones during a Thanksgiving gathering. of Thanksgiving 2022.
Jones also claims that producer Stevie J helped recruit sex workers for Diddy and attended sex parties known as “freak-offs” (a term Diddy allegedly used to refer to sexual encounters with sex workers), according to the process.
Bishop T.D. Jakes, songwriter and record producer Donald Lawrence, the Clark Sisters, Smokie Norful, Faheem Muhammad, DeForrest Taylor and Jose Cruz are also among the celebrities named in the lawsuit.
But not all of the named celebrities were not charged, just: Diddy, Gooding, Diddy’s son Justin Dior Combs, Universal Music Group chief executive Lucian Charles Grainge, former Motown Records chief executive Ethiopia Habtemariam , Chalice Recording Studios, the record labels, Diddy’s chief of staff, Kristina “KK” Khorram, Love Records and Combs Enterprises are named as defendants.
The web of involvement, Jones said, amounts to a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The amended civil lawsuit, filed in New York federal district court, occurred hours later two of Diddy’s homes were raided by homeland security investigations agents as part of an “ongoing investigation” and amid allegations of sex trafficking leveled against the music mogul by multiple women.
In a statement to ET, Homeland Security Investigations shared: “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York performed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners. .”
TMZ reports that law enforcement sources said the case is being handled out of the Southern District of New York and that it appears to be linked to allegations of sex trafficking. The outlet also reported that two of the handcuffed men in the helicopter footage appear to be Diddy’s sons Justin and Christian “King” Combs.
Additionally, a source counted Rolling Stone, in an article published Monday that four Jane Does and one John Doe had already interviewed investigators from the Southern District of New York for an investigation related to an alleged sex trafficking and RICO case, and additional interviews were reportedly scheduled.
ET has reached out to Diddy’s representatives and attorneys for comment.
Diddy made headlines when he was the target of four lawsuits last year. The media mogul was accused of sex trafficking by his ex-girlfriend, Cassiain your November 2023 lawsuit against the rapperwhich also included Cassie’s claim that Diddy raped her in 2018, near the end of their relationship.
The process between the exes was resolved quickly and “amicably”, Diddy said in a statement to ET at the time, adding, “I wish Cassie and her family all the best.
“Just so we’re clear, the decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing,” Diddy’s attorney Ben Brafman added in a statement to ET. “Mr. Combs’ decision to settle the lawsuit in no way undermines his full denial of the claims. He is pleased that they have reached a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best.”
Despite the settlement, however, Diddy faced three additional new court cases before the end of the year, in which he was accused of sexual assault, revenge porn It is being involved in “gang rape” of a 17 year old girl.
On Monday, attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represents Cassie and one of the Jane Does in the other lawsuits, said in a statement in response to the Homeland Security raids: “We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those who have violated the law .Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs accountable for his depraved conduct.”
Hours after the attacks began, Diddy was reportedly seen at a Miami airportaccording to multiple reports.
Diddy was photographed walking through Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport at approximately 3 p.m., cell phone in hand after the simultaneous raids were performed, TMZ reports. In a video obtained by the outlet, Combs can be seen walking freely outside customs at the airport, reportedly hours after operations began.
Its presence at the airport occurs amidst additional reports per People that a private jet owned by Combs flew to the Caribbean island of Antigua on Monday morning while the attacks were being carried out.
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