UMG Demands Dismissal of Diddy Sexual Assault Lawsuit—”Grainge Was Never In Any of Combs’ Homes”

Photo Credit: Universal Music Group

Lawyers for Universal Music Group have sought to have their clients dismissed from the Diddy sexual assault lawsuit brought by Rodney Jones.The bombshell lawsuit was filed in a New York federal court in February, with graphic details of unsolicited groping and sexual touching. Meanwhile, Diddy’s lawyers have responded to the lawsuit calling it ‘pure fiction’ and says his legal team has “overwhelming, indisputable proof” that the claims laid forth in the lawsuit are “complete lies.”

Now UMG Recordings lawyer Donald Zakarin is asking the court to have allegations against former executives including UMG’s CEO Lucian Grainge dismissed.

“The claims against Grainge are, if possible, even more absurd. Not only did he have nothing to do with Love Records or Combs, there is no basis on which the Chairman and CEO of a company can somehow be held responsible for Motown’s non-existent ‘failure to monitor’ Love Records’ use of funds that Motown was contractually obligated to pay under the license agreement,” the filing argues.

Rodney Jones’ lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, amended the lawsuit to backtrack on allegations concerning Grainge attending parties at Combs’ residence. Based on the original filing and those amendments, Zakarin asks the judge to deny Blackburn’s request for a second amended complaint.

“Mr. Blackburn flat out misrepresents what the FAC says,” the letter reads. “[The FAC] specifically says Plaintiff personally saw Grainge there, not that Combs told him he was there. Grainge was never in any of Combs’ homes. Thus, Plaintiff was lying in the FAC.”“Mr. Blackburn has demonstrated his willingness to ‘say anything’ regardless of whether he has the slightest factual basis for his allegations and when caught, simply invent new and totally contrary allegations. He is indifferent to the harm caused to the UMG Defendants,” the letter continues in seeking the second amended complaint denial.

Included in the letter are two sworn statements from record executives who dispute Rodney Jones’ version of events as laid forth in the lawsuit. It also includes a denial by UMG that it had an ownership stake in Combs’ Love Records label, where Jones worked for a year. Jones blames UMG for lax security at a 2022 writing workshop, where he alleges a shooting took place with Diddy forcing him to lie about it.

One of the allegations Jones makes is Diddy’s propensity to brag about a 1999 NYC nightclub shooting in which he “bragged about bribing witnesses and jurors.” That case may be re-opened and investigated as part of these allegations.“They got eyes on him in Miami and the feds are talking to witness after witness,” New York criminal defense attorney Michael Discioarro told The New York Post. “They’re corroborating everything they can. But everything past and present is on the table with Diddy right now.”