A judge has dismissed civil racketeering and breach of contract claims filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs by his former music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones.
In a filing issued Monday (March 24), US District Judge J. Paul Oetken said Jones had fallen short of showing a required injury to his “business or property” caused by a violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Per Rolling Stone, the judge said Jones’ alleged non-payment for his work on Diddy’s 2023 record, ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’, didn’t count because it lacked a “causal connection” with any purported racketeering activity.
The judge’s ruling dismissed the racketeering claims against Combs, his company, Combs Global, and his former chief of staff Kristina Khorram. As for the breach of contract claim, the judge noted in his ruling that “any contract that cannot be performed within one year is unenforceable unless it is in writing,” per New York law. Similarly, he dismissed three of Jones’ claims of emotional distress.
However, the remaining portion of the lawsuit survived the dismissal motion. Claims of sex trafficking against Combs and Khorramm, as well as sexual assault and premises liability claims against Combs were upheld. They will proceed, meaning the newly condensed case will continue, although the trafficking claim concerning Combs Global was dismissed.
Back in February of last year, Jones claimed in court documents that Khorram, also known as KK, was the “Ghislaine Maxwell to Sean Combs’ Jeffrey Epstein” in his sexual harassment and assault lawsuit against Diddy.
Jones alleged that throughout the making of the rapper’s most recent album, he forced him to have sex with prostitutes, in addition to claims that the hip-hop mogul drugged and threatened him for over a year.
An attorney for Combs denied the claims at the time, saying they were “reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines”.
Jones alleged that when he told Khorram about the unwanted encounters, she allegedly responded, “You know, Sean will be Sean,” and had “attempted to downplay Mr Combs’ groping … as friendly horseplay, stating that those acts were Mr. Combs’s way of ‘showing that he likes you.’”
It was also alleged that Khorram oversaw all aspects of the rapper’s personal life, including paying hired sex workers and requiring all of his personal employees to carry a fanny pack filled with a variety of illicit substances that she allegedly ordered and distributed, including “cocaine, GHB, ecstasy, marijuana gummies and Tuci (a pink drug that is a combination of ecstasy and cocaine),” per the lawsuit.
Court documents seen here note there is a “reasonable inference that Khorram violated TVPA” (Trafficking Victims Protection Act) by “recruiting and enticing Jones to engage in commercial sex acts, knowing or at least acting in reckless disregard of the likelihood of coercion”.
In a previous statement, Khorram denied all allegations, writing: “For months, horrific accusations have been made about me in various lawsuits regarding my former boss.
“These false allegations of my involvement are causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family. I have never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone. Nor have I ever drugged anyone.”
Meanwhile, earlier this month Combs appeared in court, and pleaded not guilty to two new indictments that were unveiled against him in January and early March.
Several outlets noted that the 55-year-old’s once-dark hair was fully grey, and he sported a greying beard that had grown since his arrest last September. It marked the first time he spoke to the court since his arraignment on sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution charges.
Elsewhere, one of Combs’ lawyers recently quit the rapper’s forthcoming criminal sex trafficking case, writing: “Under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice.”
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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