Kevin Liles had very serious allegations leveled against him on Thursday. The former Def Jam President was sued for sexual assault by an employee. The employee alleges she was subjected to years of sexual harassment leading up to the assault, which she claims took place in 2002. Doe filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law. She named both Lyles and Def Jam as defendants.
Jane Doe joined Def Jam in 1999. The court documents allege Liles made "derogatory and degrading comments based on her gender regarding her body and appearance." Doe claimed the harassment got increasingly worse during her time at Def Jam. Liles reportedly pressed his body up against Doe on different occasions, and grabbed her buttocks. It all culminated with alleged sexual assault. The lawsuit takes UMG and Def Jam to task for allowing Liles to behave in this manner. Doe also says the companies knew of the music executive's "propensity to commit the aforementioned crimes of violence." She went as far as to accuse Def Jam of enabling him.
When Was Kevin Liles President Of Def Jam?
Kevin Liles was President of Def Jam Records from 1999 to 2004. He has served executive positions for several other labels since, including Warner Music Group. He's currently the CEO and co-founder of 300 Entertainment. Jane Doe's lawsuit is not the first time Liles has been drawn into assault allegations. Liles was named as a defendant in a 2023 lawsuit against Trey Songz. He manages Songz, and singled out by the accuser for "ignoring" the list of accusations against the singer. Def Jam, Liles and Songz settled in 2024.
Jane Doe's lawyer, Lucas B. Franken, suggested more accusations against Kevin Liles will come to light. "Based on the violent and egregious conduct," he told Variety. "We hope that [others] can also come forward to share their experiences and pursue justice." The lawyer lauded his client for coming forward and taking legal action against a "celebrity figure." Liles has not yet responded to the lawsuit. He has, however, been friendly with other high profile executives with assault allegations. Liles worked closely with Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons and vouched for the character of the Diddy he "knows" to TMZ.
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