Rodney Jones, also known as Lil Rod, launched a staggering $30 million lawsuit against Diddy for sexual assault and sex trafficking claims with the help of lawyer Tyrone Blackburn. However, it seems like they may be in for more trouble than they thought. Moreover, Judge Denise Cote referred Blackburn to the Southern District of New York's Grievances Committee on Wednesday (April 3), according to court documents obtained by AllHipHop. In them, he's accused of "disturbing" past litigation, including deliberately salacious lawsuits in Federal Court. Judge Cote believes there's a pattern in the attorney's behavior that demonstrates he files cases to leverage the Federal Court process in his favor.
Specifically, Judge Cote accused Diddy's accuser's lawyer of purposefully attracting media attention to his cases, defaming defendants with unfounded and scandalous claims, and wriggling a rapid settlement out of them. Similar and recent accusations also emerged against lawyers Liane Fisher and Michael J. Taubenfeldckburn. In addition, she alleged that Blackburn did not properly file cases in their appropriate districts and brought up five instances of his continued action despite this lack of due diligence. Apparently, his case did not fall within Rule 11 obligations (which ensures that accusations are well-founded), something the Court is now very troubled with.
Diddy At Invest Fest 2023
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 26: Sean "Diddy" Combs attends Day 1 of 2023 Invest Fest at Georgia World Congress Center on August 26, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
"A reasonable inference from Blackburn’s pattern of behavior is that he improperly files cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly," Judge Cote wrote of Diddy's prosecutor. "Regardless of Blackburn’s intentions, his actions in this and prior cases indicate a repeated failure to meet his Rule 11 obligations." UMG CEO Sir Lucian Grainge also reportedly considered to sanction Blackburn for Rule 11 violations, and he's a defendant in the Sean Combs lawsuit. Depending on what the Grievance Committee concludes, this judicial admonishment could impact other high-profile cases of his.
For example, Blackburn also sued Nicki Minaj, Kenneth Petty, T.I., Tiny, and more. As such, this could have pretty hefty consequences for his legal career. Nevertheless, the claims against (or for) the Bad Boy executive remain officially uncharged, unconfirmed, but nonetheless rightfully scrutinized under law enforcement. For more news and the latest updates on the Diddy situation, check back in with HNHH.
About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a music and pop culture news writer for HotNewHipHop. He started in 2022 as a weekend writer and, since joining the team full-time, has developed a strong knowledge in hip-hop news and releases. Whether it’s regular coverage or occasional interviews and album reviews, he continues to search for the most relevant news for his audience and find the best new releases in the genre. What excites him the most is finding pop culture stories of interest, as well as a deeper passion for the art form of hip-hop and its contemporary output. Specifically, Gabriel enjoys the fringes of rap music: the experimental, boundary-pushing, and raw alternatives to the mainstream sound. As a proud native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, he also stays up-to-date with the archipelago’s local scene and its biggest musical exponents in reggaetón, salsa, indie, and beyond. Before working at HotNewHipHop, Gabriel produced multiple short documentaries, artist interviews, venue spotlights, and audio podcasts on a variety of genres and musical figures. Hardcore punk and Go-go music defined much of his coverage during his time at the George Washington University in D.C. His favorite hip-hop artists working today are Tyler, The Creator, Boldy James, JPEGMAFIA, and Earl Sweatshirt.
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