Sean “Diddy” Combs and his legal team have a new tactic to fight back against his lawsuit from Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones.
Source: WWD / Getty
As previously reported the record producer filed a suit against Diddy back in February, accusing the Bad Boy founder of sexual assault and leading a “widespread and dangerous criminal sex trafficking organization, and in the months since his complaint was filed, Combs and his attorney have repeatedly denied the allegations, calling all of Jones’ claims “lies.”
Now, Diddy and his legal team are looking to throw Lil Rod’s credibility out the window by digging into the accuser’s own, questionable past.
According to reports from Daily Mail, Combs’ lawyers have drawn attention to the fact that Jones was convicted of reckless homicide in 2003, also having faced multiple assault charges that later ended up being dismissed.
As a response, Jones’ lawyer Tyrone Blackburn spoke to Page Six, defending his client by pointing out that “a charge is not a conviction.” Blackburn also explained the homicide by saying that the record producer accidentally “totaled” a car while driving, tragically killing his cousin who was riding with him.
“Mr. Jones’ July 2003 reckless homicide occurred when he was 17 years old,” Blackburn explained to the outlet, “He was driving a vehicle with his cousin in the passenger seat. The police pulled him over, but he was afraid and drove off. It was pretty typical behavior for a young black boy in Chicago when pulled over by the police. As a result, he totaled the vehicle, and his cousin, who was his best friend, died.”
Blackburn went on to explain that Jones “did not have adequate legal representation” at the time, which resulted in him pleading guilty. Blackburn went on to label Diddy’s latest move a “distraction.”
“He has to live with the guilt of the death of his best friend and family member for the rest of his life. But don’t let that stop you from running this story and getting your clicks,” Blackburn continued. “[Diddy’s] legal team can do nothing to distract from the fact that he will be indicted soon.”
Combs and his representation have repeatedly denied the existing allegations against him, calling Rodney’s claims “sickening,” and dismissing them as “pure fiction.”
“Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 billion lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday,” attorney Shawn Holley previously told TMZ.
