Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Seeks to Dismiss ‘Lurid’ Sexual Assault Lawsuit from Producer Rodney Jones

• Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking to throw out a civil lawsuit from Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones
• The music mogul claims that the purpose of Jones’ suit is to “generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement”
• In a statement, Combs’ attorney Erica Wolff claims that Jones lawsuit is “pure fiction”

Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking to dismiss a civil lawsuit from Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a former producer and videographer who sued the music mogul for sexual assault, sexual harassment and drugging him.

In the motion to dismiss, which was filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York on Monday, Aug. 26 and obtained by PEOPLE, Combs claims that the purpose of Jones’ suit is to “generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement.”

The “I’ll Be Missing You” artist, 54, alleges that Jones’ complaint is “replete with legally meaningless allegations and blatant falsehoods.” Combs claims that the suit is full of “hyperbole and lurid theatrics” and it “fails to state a single viable claim” against the Bad Boy Records founder and his business affiliates who are named as defendants.

In addition to denying Jones’ allegations, Combs claims that Jones has tried to “promote his personal brand and profit from exposure,” citing a video he posted on social media where he was laughing as he discussed his lawsuit against the rapper/producer.

Combs has requested the RICO claim against him be dismissed because Jones hasn’t proven “a pattern of racketeering activity.” He is also seeking a dismissal of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) claim as Jones’ “threats of force, fraud [or] coercion” allegations can’t be proven.

Combs is also requesting that the sexual assault allegation against him be dismissed “because Jones fails to plead the most basic facts, such as where and when any purported instance of assault occurred or what allegedly transpired,” the lawsuit reads.

“Mr. Jones’s 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. We look forward to proving – in a court of law – that all of Mr. Jones’s claims are made-up and must be dismissed,” Combs’ attorney Erica Wolff wrote in a statement.

In an interview with Rolling Stone published on Tuesday, Aug. 27, Jones spoke out about the lawsuit and the “tough” impact it’s had on his life — including the “threats” he claims to have received and his need to have security with him when he’s performing.

“Because of this lawsuit, most people don’t want to come near working with me for whatever reasons, whether they’ve been in partnership with Puff or they want to just sit back and see what happens,” he claimed.

Jones also claims that he’s been “blackballed” in the music industry, adding: “I’ve had many nights and weeks and months of suicidal thoughts. It’s the music that has kept me living all my life.”

Reps for Jones have not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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On Feb. 26, Jones sued Combs for $30 million in damages, claiming that the rapper previously sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him while he was working with the “Last Night” performer on his recent Love album from September 2022 to November 2023.

But Combs has faced a number of sexual assault allegations dating back to November 2023, when he made headlines after his ex Casandra “Cassie” Ventura filed a bombshell lawsuit against him, claiming that he raped and sex trafficked her throughout an abusive 10 years.

Just one day after filing, the lawsuit was resolved to both parties’ “mutual satisfaction,” however, more people have come forward since then, with some alleging Diddy of abuse, sex trafficking and gang rape. 

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Dec. 6, Combs addressed the claims saying: “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday.”

In March 2024, Combs’ properties were raided by federal agents, which a Homeland Security Investigations representative told PEOPLE was “part of an ongoing investigation.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.