As a motion to dismiss Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones’ bombshell lawsuit against rap and fashion mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has resurfaced the case in the courts and media, the upstart producer accusing the powerful industry player of grooming and exposing him to several crimes spoke out in a rare interview as he remains in hiding. Lil Rod revealed he is having suicidal thoughts, is broke and afraid to appear in public as he believes he will be killed, but says that he will continue “standing up for justice.”
On Monday, attorneys representing DIddy’s camp fired back at the 38-year-old musician with their motion to dismiss the Rodney Jones v. Sean Combs civil case. The motion claims that Jones, who spent over a year living and traveling with Combs and has multiple production credits on Diddy’s 2023 Grammy-nominated The Love Album, is merely using the accusations to obtain what he sees as unpaid income for his contributions to Diddy’s record.
During a rare interview, Jones steadfastly maintained that the shocking details in his complaint are true and did not hold back while speaking to Rolling Stone about Combs.
“He’s a monster,” Jones told the magazine. “He’ll do whatever is necessary to get exactly what he wants. He doesn’t take no for an answer. He [told me] himself, ‘I’ll smack my mama.’ Anybody who can say that even jokingly is a monster. He’s 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.”
In 2022, Jones was hired by Combs to work on Diddy’s first studio record since 2006. For over a year, Jones says he spent time living with Diddy in three different homes and experienced and witnessed multiple salacious events that include his sexual assault, being forced by Combs to engage in sex acts, being made to solicit sex workers, being drugged, humiliated and repeatedly groped on his anus and genitals by actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. while in Diddy’s orbit.
Jones’ case was filed on Feb. 26 in New York federal court and he seeks $30 million in restitution. In the amended filing, which came shortly after the complaint was initially entered, Jones added further details, stating that a “RICO enterprise” exists which repeatedly “failed to adequately monitor, warn or supervise” Combs as Jones suffered abuse at his hands.
Speaking of his time with Diddy with Rolling Stone, Jones characterized the Bad Boy founder as more executive than musician. It was after he’d entered the mogul’s inner circle, he said, that he began to understand his ear in terms of producing music; but this was when the pattern of abuse started. Jones recalled to the outlet being invited to a Thanksgiving dinner where he believed no one would speak because as they were within Combs’ orbit, they all had signed non-disclosure agreements.
“About 10 minutes later, Puff comes rolling in with Yung Miami and others following behind. Assistants were lighting candles, giving us cocktails,” Jones recalled. “He went in his bathroom attached to the studio and summoned me and DeForrest. He asked me if I had a $100 bill. There were three white lines on the sink. He was asking me to do something I’ve never done before. It was awkward. He was trying to get me to do some drugs. I don’t want to judge anybody, but that’s at the top of my list of things I’m afraid to do.”
From there, according to Jones’ legal filing, he witnessed a number of crimes while working with Combs, including an accusation that the mogul was involved in a shooting at a recording studio in 2022. Now, Jones says he is in hiding and unable to get any of his music picked up or distributed, given Combs’ power in the industry.
“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,” Jones told Rolling Stone.
“He’s a gatekeeper in the music industry,” he added of Combs. “In this industry, to be successful, you have to have worked with someone like him or Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Kanye or 50 Cent. So many people I’ve worked with have had business deals with him. I reached out to try to get a deal for my album, and people don’t want to get involved.”
Jones, whose path to taking on Combs in court began with a GoFundMe page he titled “Help Me Sue Sean “Diddy” Combs,” wherein he explained being stiffed by the artist, says that he’s broke now and is unable to pay security to keep himself safe as his case moves through the courts. He sees three therapists and points the interviewer to the shocking video of Combs physically assaulting his girlfriend, performing artist Cassie, in a video that leaked online earlier this year.
Despite essentially going underground, Jones says that he was thrown a lifeline this year by T-PAIN, who he’d previously produced, to be the band leader at a massive gig at the Hollywood Bowl in June. He explained how it was not a great experience, as his “mind fell back into a trauma state. I didn’t want to walk to the bathroom without somebody being with me.”
Jones has until Sept. 9 to respond to Monday’s motion to dismiss.
