As a movement to dismiss Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones’ bombshell lawsuit towards rap and trend mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has resurfaced the case within the courts and media, the upstart producer accusing the highly effective trade participant of grooming and exposing him to a number of crimes spoke out in an interview as he stays in hiding. Lil Rod revealed he’s having suicidal ideas, is broke and afraid to seem in public as he believes he shall be killed, however says that he’ll proceed “standing up for justice.”
On Monday, attorneys representing Diddy’s camp fired again on the 38-year-old musician with their movement to dismiss the Rodney Jones v. Sean Combs civil case. The movement claims that Jones, who spent over a yr residing and touring with Combs and has a number of manufacturing credit on Diddy’s 2023 Grammy-nominated The Love Album, is merely utilizing the accusations to acquire what he sees as unpaid earnings for his contributions to Diddy’s file.
Throughout an interview, Jones steadfastly maintained that the stunning particulars in his grievance are true and didn’t maintain again whereas talking to Rolling Stone about Combs.
“He’s a monster,” Jones instructed the journal. “He’ll do no matter is important to get precisely what he needs. He doesn’t take no for a solution. He [told me] himself, ‘I’ll smack my mama.’ Anyone who can say that even jokingly is a monster. He’s nothing to be performed with. For an individual whose model is Love Information, and altered their identify to Love and named their child Love, he doesn’t present love. He’s simply advertising and marketing.”
In 2022, Jones was employed by Combs to work on Diddy’s first studio file since 2006. For over a yr, Jones says he frolicked residing with Diddy in three totally different properties and skilled and witnessed a number of salacious occasions that embody his sexual assault, being compelled by Combs to have interaction in intercourse acts, being made to solicit intercourse staff, being drugged, humiliated and repeatedly groped on his anus and genitals by actor Cuba Gooding Jr. whereas in Diddy’s orbit.
Jones’ case was filed Feb. 26 in New York federal courtroom, and he seeks $30 million in restitution. Within the amended submitting, which got here shortly after the grievance was initially entered, Jones added additional particulars, stating {that a} “RICO enterprise” exists that repeatedly “didn’t adequately monitor, warn or supervise” Combs as Jones suffered abuse at his arms.
Combs’ lawyer, Erica Wolff, wrote in an announcement to The Hollywood Reporter, “Mr. Jones’ lawsuit is pure fiction — a shameless try and create media hype and extract a fast settlement. There was no RICO conspiracy and Mr. Jones was not threatened, groomed, assaulted, or trafficked. We look ahead to proving — in a courtroom of regulation — that every one of Mr. Jones’s claims are made-up and have to be dismissed.”
Talking of his time with Diddy to Rolling Stone, Jones characterised the Unhealthy Boy founder as extra government than musician. It was after he’d entered the mogul’s interior circle, he stated, that he started to know his ear by way of producing music; however this was when the sample of abuse began. Jones recalled to the outlet being invited to a Thanksgiving dinner the place he believed nobody would communicate as a result of as they have been inside Combs’ orbit, all of them had signed nondisclosure agreements.
“About 10 minutes later, Puff comes rolling in with Yung Miami and others following behind. Assistants have been lighting candles, giving us cocktails,” Jones recalled. “He went in his toilet connected to the studio and summoned me and DeForrest. He requested me if I had a $100 invoice. There have been three white traces on the sink. He was asking me to do one thing I’ve by no means finished earlier than. It was awkward. He was making an attempt to get me to do some medicine. I don’t wish to choose anyone, however that’s on the prime of my checklist of issues I’m afraid to do.”
From there, in line with Jones’ authorized submitting, he witnessed quite a lot of crimes whereas working with Combs, together with an accusation that the mogul was concerned in a taking pictures at a recording studio in 2022. Now, Jones says he’s in hiding and unable to get any of his music picked up or distributed, given Combs’ energy within the trade.
“Due to this lawsuit, most individuals don’t wish to come close to working with me for no matter causes, whether or not they’ve been in partnership with Puff or they wish to simply sit again and see what occurs,” Jones instructed Rolling Stone.
“He’s a gatekeeper within the music trade,” he added of Combs. “On this trade, to achieve success, it’s a must to have labored with somebody like him or Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Kanye or 50 Cent. So many individuals I’ve labored with have had enterprise offers with him. I reached out to attempt to get a deal for my album, and folks don’t wish to get entangled.”
Jones, whose path to taking over Combs in courtroom started with a GoFundMe web page he titled “Assist Me Sue Sean “Diddy” Combs,” whereby he defined being stiffed by the artist, says that he’s broke now and is unable to pay for safety to maintain himself secure as his case strikes via the courts. He sees three therapists and factors the interviewer to the stunning video of Combs bodily assaulting his girlfriend, performing artist Cassie, in a video that leaked on-line earlier this yr.
Regardless of primarily going underground, Jones says that he was thrown a lifeline this yr by T-Ache, whom he’d beforehand produced, to be the band chief at a large gig on the Hollywood Bowl in June. He defined the way it was not an awesome expertise, as his “thoughts fell again right into a trauma state. I didn’t wish to stroll to the toilet with out any individual being with me.”
Jones has till Sept. 9 to answer Monday’s movement to dismiss.