A judge in New York dismissed numerous claims Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones made in the eye-popping lawsuit he filed against Sean "Diddy" Combs last year.
According to a report People published on Monday, March 24, Judge J. Paul Oetken dismissed five of the nine allegations Jones made against the Bad Boy Records founder in a 73-page lawsuit. The producer claimed Combs and the people Combs hired sexually assaulted him several times while he worked on The Love Album: Off The Grid between September 2022 and November 2023. He also claimed he was drugged and threatened by Combs during that time.
Judge Oetken's ruling came down seven months after Combs' legal team filed a motion to dismiss Jones' lawsuit completely. He dismissed Jones' allegations about violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) because "the Court cannot identify any such causal link" between Combs and his enterprises' alleged conduct and their apparent failure to compensate Jones for his contributions to the album.
"Defendants' alleged sex, drug, and gun trafficking activities ... did not forseeably or naturally preclude Defendants from honoring their recording contract with Jones," Judge Oetken said.
The judge also dismissed Jones' claims that Combs Global violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). The act prohibits the use of fraud, coercion, and threats of force "to cause the person to engage in a commercial sex act." Jones also named Combs' chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, his son Justin, and several record label executives in his lawsuit.
Although Combs Global was spared, the judge did not dismiss the TVPA allegations against Combs and Khorram. Judge Oetken cited the various examples of alleged incidents in which Jones claimed Combs "recruited or enticed Jones to solicit and perform sex acts with commercial workers" and allegedly "transported Jones across state and international borders to do so." Jones' other allegation of sexual assault on Combs properties was not dismissed because "Combs had both possession and control of the premises."
The judge also dismissed Jones' claim about breach of contract as well as negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Combs previously denied the allegations and his attorney Erica Wolff called the claims "pure fiction." Combs also pleaded not guilty to the sex trafficking, kidnapping, and racketeering charges he was indicted on last year. He's set to face trial on May 12.