LOS ANGELES — The music producer who is suing Sean “Diddy” Combs is stepping up allegations that Combs and his son were involved in a 2022 mass shooting at a Los Angeles recording studio and allegations of harassment.
On February 26, Combs was accused of sexual harassment, drugging, and intimidation by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, the producer of his latest album, while traveling and living with Combs from September 2022 to November 2023. He was accused of doing the following.
In the original complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Jones also accused the shooting incident at the “Writers and Producers Camp” on September 12, 2022 at Challis Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Detailed. He said Mr. Combs, Combs' son Justin, and Justin's friend “G” were present.
But the details provided in that complaint and the amended complaint filed Monday differ from information about the shooting provided by Los Angeles police and Combs' attorney, Sean Hawley.
The complaint also alleges that Combs is part of a “RICO enterprise” and that they are involved in a “sex trafficking enterprise.” RICO companies are companies in which individuals or groups act together to violate racketeers and corrupt organization laws that cover organized crime. The complaint is the latest legal trouble for Combs, who has been hit with a number of recent lawsuits, including multiple sexual assault allegations.
shooting
The original complaint includes testimony from Jones that she heard multiple gunshots after having a “heated conversation” in a nearby restroom. When the bathroom door opened, Combs and his son came out, and Jones said she found Ms. G “lying on the bathroom floor in a fetal position, holding her stomach and touching her legs and lower back,” according to the complaint. They found him bleeding from the body.
Jones said he brought the victim to the front of the studio, where an ambulance was waiting. The Los Angeles Fire Department did not respond to requests for more information about the shooting last week.
Jones claimed in the complaint that Combs had nothing to do with the shooting and that he instructed Combs to tell police that the attack was committed outside the studio by an assailant who was driving by. Jones maintained that G was not shot outside Challis.
Chalice Recording Studio did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. He did not respond to a request for comment last week.
Chalice Recording Studio in Los Angeles. Google Maps
The amended filing includes a message that Challis allegedly sent to an anonymous person: “The shooting occurred half a block away from Challis and was the result of a robbery. There are police reports to support this. Before you start contributing to the defamation of our organization, let the facts be clear. Please wait until
That is consistent with Hawley's understanding of the sequence of events.
“Once the Los Angeles Police Department arrived on scene, it was quickly determined (conclusively) that the shooting had taken place a short distance from the studio,” she said Monday.
The amended complaint also cites media reports that Holly claimed she went to the studio after G was shot.
However, Jones' original lawsuit claims that police were inside Chalice and “saw blood in the bathroom,” but “supported the false claim” that the shooting occurred outside the studio.
The original filing included a screenshot purporting to show “the aftermath of the bathroom where G. was shot by Mr. Combs or Mr. J. Combs.” NBC News has not been able to identify the red liquid depicted in the screenshot. Jones also claims he has clothing worn on the day of the shooting, which may contain the shooting victim's DNA.
The amended application also includes a photo of Combs allegedly in the studio on the night in question. Combs and her son were not at the studio when police arrived, according to the filing, and while police investigated, Combs and her son “hidden” in another studio after the officers left. , claims to have left first.
Holly disputed this account on Monday, saying, “It is my understanding that Sean and Justin were in completely different parts of the studio when the shooting victim ran into the bathroom.”
She added that she did not believe police had interviewed Combs or his son.
NBC News has not confirmed whether Combs and his son were interviewed. Lt. Kelly Muniz said Saturday that police do not comment on pending civil litigation or specific allegations.
A representative for Justin Combs denied the allegations in the original complaint on February 27, calling them “absurd” and “lies,” saying, “All defamatory statements made about the Combs family are subject to legal restrictions.” He said he had a “responsibility”.
Los Angeles Police Department account
Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that in the early morning hours of September 12, 2022, officers responded to a report of a possible shooting in the 800 block of North Highland Avenue, the same block as Challis.
Police said the victim said two people approached him while he was parked next to his car on the street, demanded his property, and after a scuffle, he was shot in the torso.
Two months later, police arrested the three men and said they were involved in a series of robberies across the city and possibly other robberies as well. A police spokesperson told NBC News that this includes the September 12 shooting.
On Tuesday, Holley told NBC News that Los Angeles police confirmed that the shooting did not occur in or near the studio, that Combs is not a suspect and that those involved have been charged.
Police did not specifically respond to the original charges detailed in the original complaint, but a person familiar with the investigation said Combs was not involved in the investigation. NBC News has not confirmed whether Combs was interviewed.
Private Investigators Mentioned in Amended Complaint
In his original complaint, Jones said Combs called Jones in August 2022 to ask him about the release of his Grammy-nominated R&B album, “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” which was released last September. He claimed that he asked him to produce several songs.
In her original complaint, Jones alleged that Combs sexually harassed and assaulted her multiple times while they lived and worked together. She said he also recruited sex workers and was forced to perform sex acts with them to please Combs.
Jones said the incident took place in February 2023, when she woke up naked, dizzy and disoriented in bed with Combs and two sex workers, believing Combs had drugged her. He said he was there.
Recommendation
Jones said in his original complaint that he has hundreds of hours of video and audio to back up his sexual harassment allegations because Combs frequently asked Jones to “record himself at all times.” Video and audio footage of Combs, his staff and customers “engage in grossly illegal conduct,” the complaint says.
Hawley, Mr Combs' lawyer, on February 26 called Mr Jones' claims in the original filing “a complete lie” and said: “We have addressed these outlandish allegations in court and made them. We will take all appropriate action against them.”
In the lawsuit filed Feb. 26, Jones described Combs as “forceful, demanding, and someone who won't take no for an answer.” Mr. Jones said Mr. Combs, one of the most powerful people in the music industry, used his power to coerce Mr. Jones, including threatening to physically harm Mr. Combs if he did not comply with his demands. He claimed that he had threatened him.
“Mr. Combs has consistently demonstrated that he has tremendous power in the music industry and in law enforcement,” the lawsuit states.
Jones alleges in the amended complaint that a private investigator who claimed to have ties to Combs sought out, harassed and bribed a close friend “to provide dirt” on Jones. He claimed to have found out last week.
Mr. Jones claimed that investigators tried to bribe his friend to provide evidence that would “speak against Mr. Jones.” Jones' friends said they feared for their safety and that of their family following the alleged communications, according to the filing.
A representative for Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the private investigator's allegations Monday.
Jones claims he wasn't paid for the production of his latest album
Jones also said in his Feb. 26 filing that he was not paid for his work on Love Album: Off the Grid, even though it was “under an implied employment agreement.” He also claimed that he had not been paid. Combs, Love Records, Motown Records and Universal Music Group profited from his work, but he was not compensated, according to the lawsuit. Love Records, Motown Records and Universal Music Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In an amended complaint filed Monday, Jones alleges that when he was scouted to work on “The Love Album,” the recruiter offered him $20,000 per song, four royalty points, a producer credit, and a 100% discount on the song. He said he told them he wanted credit for each instrument played. and his retention of publishing rights.
Jones said he and the recruiter verbally agreed to the terms. Mr Combs assured that the terms were “acceptable”. That's why Jones signed on to the project, the complaint says.
The amended complaint alleges that Jones suffered losses including $220,000, four royalty points, and producer credits for nine songs. He's asking for $30 million.
“Litigation should never be the first option in a dispute. You can have honest discussions to resolve the issue, as I suggested, or you can have honest discussions to resolve the issue, as Sean Hawley said to his client Danny Masters. “We could follow the same plan that got Son and Tory Lanez convicted. It makes you wonder who is really in control of this situation with Mr. Combs,” said Tyrone Blackburn, Mr. Jones' attorney. he said on Monday.
In response to a request for comment on Feb. 26, Blackburn used the Latin phrase “res ipsa loquitur,” which roughly translates to “the thing speaks for itself,” to describe the lawsuit.
Universal Music Group and its Chairman and CEO Lucien Grainge did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the amended complaint Monday.
previous suit
In addition to Jones' lawsuit, four women filed separate lawsuits against Combs late last year, all accusing him of sexual assault.
The first lawsuit was filed by singer Cassie, whose real name is Cassandra Ventura. In it, she said Mr. Combs physically abused her, masturbated her and forced her to have sex with her male prostitute while he recorded it. . The lawsuit was settled the day after it was filed, but the settlement “is in no way an admission of wrongdoing,” Combs' attorney said at the time.
Following Kathy's lawsuit, two other women, Lisa Gardner and Joey Dickerson-Neal, also accused Combs of sexual assault.
Later, a woman identified only as Jane Doe in court documents filed a separate complaint alleging that Combs and two other men gang-raped her when she was 17 and Combs was 34. filed a lawsuit.
These three cases are still pending. In Doe's case, the court ruled Thursday that she cannot be anonymous if her case moves forward.
Combs denied the allegations against him in a statement in December, saying “enough is enough” and calling the allegations “disgusting.”
“Let me be clear: I have not done anything as terrible as is being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family, and my truth,” he said in a statement at the time.
Diana Daslas and Andrew Blankstein reported from Los Angeles and Rebecca Cohen from New York City.