For years, it was mere off-hand remarks heard across certain corners of the music and fashion industries — specifically, the hip-hop and sportswear spaces where Sean “Diddy” Combs (née Puff Daddy, née P. Diddy) emerged in the mid-’90s and, for a while, seemed to own. The rumors of his excesses and tactics would bubble to the surface in a tweet or radio show revelation, but what seemed implausible about such a high-profile player has now materialized into headline-making allegations involving sex trafficking of minors, sexual misconduct, forced druggings and compromising footage of celebrities held as blackmail.
Related Stories
Since November, there have been five lawsuits leveled against the rapper-turned-mogul who is now at the center of a federal investigation. One bombshell lawsuit that will, at bare minimum, mangle Diddy’s career, came from a young man who was welcomed into his inner circle and, according to that producer, exited the mogul’s milieu after he was allegedly groomed, abused and exploited. He also claims the nearly billionaire Combs stiffed him on payment, publishing shares and royalties.
In 2022, Ronnie Jones Jr., musician and producer known as Lil Rod, was hired by Combs to work on what would become his 2023 album, The Love Album: Off the Grid, Diddy’s first studio record since 2006. Jones had segued into hip-hop production from early gospel work — in Chicago, he grew up playing music with his local church, sitting behind the drum kit from the age of 5; by 13 years old, he was recording in studios in front of a piano or on the bass guitar, which became his specialty, as he told Death of the Clout Chasers TV in an interview.
By 18, Jones had performed on 30-plus albums. By 20, he moved toward R&B and hip-hop studio sessions. Soon enough, his résumé featured credits on tracks by Jack Harlow, Mary J. Blige and T-Pain. In interviews about his work, Jones’ passion for music, production and artistry is apparent.
“I love the whole creative process. I just love it,” Jones told the outlet when asked about the joys of being an artist. “The best thing that ever could have happened to me was having a fall and getting back up. Look, whenever I lose, I try to figure out why did I lose, how can I strengthen and also, what was the message?”
Jones’ complaint states that he was ultimately credited with producing nine tracks on the album, the fruit of the 14 months ending in November 2023 spent working with Combs in the studio; the album features a vast list of A-list guest stars one would expect from a top industry player’s big return. Over the year-plus he spent helping make it, the artist and producer developed an unconventional relationship — Jones was living and traveling with the rapper, but also became his videographer in the day-to-day, wading into the jet-set inner circle of one of the music business’s biggest names.
What happened over these months and how it led to a high-profile FBI raid on Diddy’s properties is at the center of the lawsuit’s accusations. (The raid was called a “a gross overuse of military-level force” by Diddy’s attorney, Aaron Dryer). Jones’ case was filed on Feb. 26 in New York federal court and he seeks $30 million in restitution. In the lengthy filing, Jones levels damaging allegations against Diddy, saying that while working with him he was sexually assaulted, allegedly forced by Combs to engage in sex acts, made to solicit sex workers, drugged, humiliated and says he was repeatedly groped on his anus and genitals while in Diddy’s orbit.
Jones also claims he is being cheated out of over $50,000 for his work on Combs’ album. And, among his many allegations and accounts of troubling situations, the filing also states that his “life has been detrimentally impacted ever since” he traveled with Combs back and forth to the mogul’s homes in Los Angeles, New York, Florida and to his yacht in the U.S. Virgin Islands while under an “implied work agreement.” The mogul has also threatened the producer for more than a year, he says.
It was scarcely seen then, but three weeks before filing the massive lawsuit, Jones had begun a GoFundMe looking for financial help to take on Diddy, whom he indicated in no uncertain terms was ripping him off.
“I find myself fighting for my producer’s rates (money), publishing shares, and royalties for works done on this project,” Jones wrote in his plea for funding. “For the better part of the past 6 months, my team and I have extended every opportunity we knew possible to have these matters addressed and resolved (fairly) but in private. However, Diddy’s negotiation tactics, to stall communications, dry out (my) funds, and have me negotiating out of desperation or without a real means of fighting back has forced me here!”
Of the funding drive’s $50,000 goal, $4,965 had been raised as of April 11. The Hollywood Reporter reached out to Jones via email but messages have not been returned.
Everything in Jones’ complaint amounts to bupkis, lawyers representing Combs told the press after the initial filing: “Mr. Jones is nothing more than a con man, shamelessly looking for an easy and wholly undeserved payday,” attorney Shawn Holley said at the time. “We have indisputable, incontrovertible proof that his claims are complete fabrications. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored. We look forward to addressing these ridiculous claims in court and intend to take all appropriate action against all who are attempting to peddle them.”
For Diddy, this isn’t a one-off legal headache. The filing and tsunami of salacious headlines around it came just weeks after he settled a case for an undisclosed sum with his ex-partner, the recording artist Cassie. The two parties settled just one day after she filed her explosive lawsuit accusing Combs of rape and ongoing physical abuse. Looking at the case’s side by side shows similarities in the accusations leveled against Combs in the shape of the supposed abuse, including the specific allegations of forced encounters with sex workers.
Combs has denied all of the claims made against him in four lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct, some of which were filed under the New York Adult Survivors Act‘s one-year window for adult victims to file a suits against alleged abusers. In December, prior to Jones’ court filing, the mogul took to Instagram to make a statement to fans refuting all claims: “I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” he said in December. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
The Lil Rod suit also namedrops other major industry players and celebrities — even Prince Harry makes a passing appearance in the filing (the British Royal faces no accusations or charges). And since Jones’ suit went public, speculation has permeated all ends of gossip media, with now quotidian stories about Diddy’s rival rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s reactions to the mogul’s woes (where he brought Jay-Z into the conversation), and other questions around who knew what or who may be on what tape.
Abuse allegations also surfaced against rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson after his ex-girlfriend Daphne Joy was named in Lil Rod’s lawsuit. Joy was named in the suit alongside Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Yung Miami, as someone who allegedly received financial compensation for sex work with the Bad Boy Records founder. Jackson, via a rep, has called the accusations “false and baseless.”
The suit also alleges the rapper-mogul had a habit of recording his guests. According to Jones’ complaint, Diddy allegedly would hide cameras around his properties and was capturing the rich and famous engaging in private trysts or perhaps, illegal behavior, during his alleged “freak off” parties. Jones now claims to have his own recordings from his capacity as videographer of Diddy and his team “engaging in serious illegal activity.” This allegedly includes footage that “Mr. Combs provided laced alcoholic beverages to minors and sex workers at his homes,” the suit claims.
In the case’s additional 25 pages filed in late March, Jones said he believes he was being groomed in an attempt to eventually be passed off to Cuba Gooding, Jr. The Oscar winner’s name got a mention in the initial suit but on March 25, Gooding became a named defendant in the case when 25 pages were added to the filing. Combs allegedly “suggested that Cuba ‘get to know’ Mr. Jones better,” Jones claims, and describes an instance of being groped by the actor.
Combs’ chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge and the rapper’s son, Justin Combs, were also added as defendants in the March 27 update to the case. This early Spring date was also when Combs’ properties were raided amid robust media coverage, propelling the story to front pages nationwide.
Now, Lil Rod’s allegations against Combs are set to play out in court. This week, Southern District of New York Judge J. Paul Oetken, who is currently overseeing the case, issued an order requiring counsel for both parties in the case to appear for a telephone conference.
April. 11, 10:49 p.m. Updated to include the full statatement from Sean Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley.
