Lil Rod Speaks Out on Lawsuit Against Diddy: ‘I’m Being Punished’

Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. is breaking his silence regarding his lawsuit from February against Sean “Diddy” Combs. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Jones, a producer on Diddy’s 2023 album “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” delved into the circumstances that prompted his $30 million racketeering, sexual assault, and trafficking lawsuit, and how he has been coping since then.

Jones described Diddy as a “monster” and mentioned that he has been in hiding since the lawsuit was filed. Despite fears for his safety, he did make some public appearances, including a Juneteenth event at the Hollywood Bowl featuring T-Pain, where he was the band director.

“But doing that show, I had a couple of mental breakdowns. I almost felt like it was too soon for me to try to come back outside to work. My anxiety was out the roof,” Jones revealed to Rolling Stone. “I saw different guys backstage I didn’t know and got scared. I wondered where the security was. It made me very uncomfortable. It’s not a good feeling wondering if someone was there to attack me.”

Jones has been undergoing therapy to cope with the fallout, stating, “I’ve got three therapists.” Referring to a well-known incident, he added, “Everybody saw the video of Cassie. This is who I’m dealing with.”

Responding to Rolling Stone about Jones’ interview, a Diddy spokesperson referred to a statement from the rapper’s lawyer. “Mr. Jones’ lawsuit is pure fiction—a shameless attempt to create media hype and extract a quick settlement. There was no RICO conspiracy and Mr. Jones was not threatened, groomed, assaulted, or trafficked,” Erica Wolff stated. “We look forward to proving – in a court of law – that all of Mr. Jones’s claims are made-up and must be dismissed.”

Jones, also known as Lil Rode Madeit, has worked with several artists, including Mary Mary, Jack Harlow, and T-Pain, amassing hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify for his independent music. He first met Diddy at a recording studio writing camp in September 2022, where he offered his expertise for one of Diddy’s songs.

On “The Love Album,” Jones is listed as a producer on six tracks. However, he claims to have produced nine songs for Diddy and lived with the mogul for a year without compensation for his work. In a February video, Jones asked for public support through a GoFundMe, alleging that Diddy’s team was underpaying him. “I’ve tried to get my business straight on this album, but the truth is they ain’t playing fair. They hit me below the belt on so many situations,” Jones said in the video. “The contract they gave me and the offer they gave me was just disgusting. The producer fee, pennies. And on top of that, these guys are trying to steal my publishing (rights).”

Diddy’s team denies these claims, stating that “Mr. Jones was hired as a session musician and sound engineer for ‘The Love Album’ and was fully compensated for his contribution,” according to a spokesperson’s comment to Rolling Stone.

Jones alleges that bringing these issues to light has deeply affected his livelihood. “I’m broke. I have no source of income right now. Every month I’m trying to figure out how the bills are going to get paid,” he said. “Here I am standing up for justice, for what I believe is right for my life, and I’m being punished for that. I’m blackballed, for sure. I’ve had many nights and weeks and months of suicidal thoughts. It’s the music that has kept me living all my life.”

While he has a completed album ready for release, Jones lacks the resources to market and distribute it. “People are too scared, whatever their reasons are, to touch this,” he told Rolling Stone. “My name is all over the (Love Album) credits, so I had to have done some producing. It got a Grammy nomination. And I’m sitting here doing nothing, unable to work. This is not right,” he said. Jones also criticized Diddy’s public persona, adding, “(Combs is) nothing to be played with. For a person whose brand is Love Records, and changed their name to Love and named their kid Love, he doesn’t show love. He’s just marketing.”

Combs’ lawyers responded formally to the lawsuit on Monday, requesting dismissal on grounds of insufficient evidence to support Jones’ claims of a RICO enterprise or the accusations of trafficking and sexual assault. In their motion to dismiss, Diddy’s attorneys described Jones’ complaint as “countless tall tales,” “shameless celebrity namedrops,” and “blatant falsehoods.” They characterized the lawsuit as a “run-of-the-mill commercial disagreement” distorted into a sensational RICO conspiracy.

Jones’ lawsuit outlines that Combs allegedly physically and sexually assaulted him from October 2022 to October 2023 in various locations, including Combs’ homes. Diddy is also facing other civil lawsuits and a federal investigation for alleged sex trafficking and sexual assault, all of which he denies. He recently apologized to ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura following the release of a surveillance video showing an assault in 2016.

If you or someone you know needs support for mental health, suicidal thoughts, or substance abuse, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org. For support regarding sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org.

Source: USA TODAY