Parts Of Lil Rod Lawsuit Accusing Diddy Of Sexual Assault, Racketeering Dismissed

"We view this as a win. Defendants wanted a total dismissal and they failed to get it," said Lil Rod's attorney, Tyrone Blackburn

Sean “Diddy” Combs scored a partial legal victory on March 24, when a New York City federal judge dismissed the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act allegation and other charges the entertainment mogul was accused of. Yet, other parts of the lawsuit will proceed.

According to USA Today, in the lawsuit that music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed against Diddy for $30 million, he accused the former Bad Boy Records label owner of sexual assault, harassment, and running a racketeering and conspiracy enterprise that involved sex trafficking. Attorneys for Diddy filed a motion to dismiss, but the judge stated that the charges of RICO, breach of contract, and infliction of emotional distress would be dismissed. Still, the sexual assault allegations levied against Diddy would proceed. Those allegations were against Diddy, his business enterprise, and his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram.

Lil Rod made the accusations when he filed the lawsuit in February 2024, claiming the acts took place while he was recording Diddy’s project, “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” which was released in 2023.

The attorney representing Lil Rod, Tyrone Blackburn, submitted a written statement to the media outlet saying, “We view this as a win. Defendants wanted a total dismissal, and they failed to get it.”

However, Judge J. Paul Oetken admonished Blackburn for his conduct, describing it as “unsettling.” The judge criticized the lawyer and stated that Blackburn’s attempt to use separate legal claims against Diddy as evidence of doing what he is accused of cannot be used to prove that he may be guilty of Lil Rod’s claims.

“That any licensed member of the bar would espouse such an absurd understanding of the law is not just disturbing, but shocking,” he wrote in his declaration. Judge Oetken also chastised Blackburn for insulting the attorneys for Combs in his filings and using “schoolyard taunts” toward them.