Legal News

27 Feb 2025

Kevin Liles Sued for Alleged Rape of Female Def Jam Employee in Early 2000s

A woman has sued 300 Entertainment CEO Kevin Liles for allegedly harassing and raping her while the two worked together at Def Jam in the early 2000s, according to documents filed in New York Supreme Court on Wednesday (Feb. 26).

Filed by attorneys Lucas Franken and Mallory Allen at New York firm Pfau Cochran Vertetis, the suit claims that Liles began sexually harassing the woman — identified as Jane Doe in the complaint — beginning in 2000, shortly after she started working as the executive assistant to Def Jam’s then-GM. During this time, she alleges that Liles — who was then serving as president of the storied hip-hop label — “pressed his body” against her breasts, grabbed her buttocks and made “sexually inappropriate comments and advances towards her on numerous occasions, “which she rebuffed.”

The woman claims this behavior ultimately culminated in Liles sexually assaulting and raping her.

Also named as defendants are Def Jam and its corporate parent Universal Music Group, which the woman accuses of “permitting, aiding, abetting, conspiring, ratifying and enabling” Liles’ harassment and rape. The suit alleges that the companies “knew or should have known of” Liles’ alleged propensity for sexual abuse “motivated by gender animus” and are liable for “ignoring, dismissing, and failing to take any action” against him, including by reporting him to the police. It also claims that the companies “permitted” Liles “to entrap their employees in locations that enabled his sexual abuse, assault and rape.”

As a result of the alleged harassment and assault, the woman says she suffered “severe emotional and psychological distress and personal physical injury…including severe mental anguish, humiliation, and emotional and physical distress.”

The lawsuit was brought under the Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law in New York, which allows survivors of gender-motivated violence whose claims were previously time-barred to file suit against their alleged abusers.

The woman is asking for compensatory and punitive damages, among other relief.

Liles served as president of Def Jam Recordings in the late 1990s and early 2000s before being named executive vp at Warner Music Group. He went on to found the management firm KWL Enterprises in 2009 and, later, record label 300 Entertainment alongside Lyor Cohen, Roger Gold and Todd Moscowitz in 2012. Following 300’s acquisition by Warner Music Group in 2022, he assumed the role of chairman/CEO at 300 Elektra Entertainment. He stepped down from that role in September.

Representatives for Universal Music Group, Def Jam and Liles did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

27 Feb 2025

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sued for Sexual Assault by Male Escort

Sean “Diddy” Combs is the subject of yet another lawsuit, as a male escort has accused the disgraced Bad Boy Records mogul of sexual assault.

The victim, who filed in the Southern District of New York as John Doe on Wednesday (Feb. 26) through his attorneys at Eisenberg & Baum, claims Combs sexually assaulted him and then coerced him to remain quiet with a series of threats.

Doe says he met Combs in 2012 through his Florida-based male companion service and then traveled north to meet the hip-hop mogul in New York City, where he says Combs invited him to his suite at the Intercontinental Hotel. While there, he claims that Combs forced him to perform “oral and penetrative sex” on a woman who was also present. He also alleges that Combs had him drink from a water bottle and rubbed baby oil on him, “one or both of which” led him to “feel as if he had been drugged and not in complete control of his body.” During the same assault, Doe claims that Combs put his finger in his anus and “forcibly anally raped” him.

“You better not say a word to anybody about this. Did you hear me,” Doe recalls Combs saying to him following the assault. “I’m not f—ing playing with you. If I can get Pac hit, what the f— do you think can happen to you?”

Combs’ lawyers have continued to deny all of the sexual assault allegations against him.

“No matter how many lawsuits are filed — especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims — it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor,” Combs’ attorneys said in a statement sent to Billboard on Thursday (Feb. 27).

They continued: “We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”

In addition to the dozens of sexual assault lawsuits that have been filed against him, Combs is currently detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of his criminal trial, which is slated to begin on May 5. The disgraced rapper and executive was arrested in September on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He faces life in prison if convicted on all charges.

26 Feb 2025

A$AP Rocky Must Face A$AP Relli’s Assault Lawsuit as Judge Sets Trial Date: Report

Just over a week after A$AP Rocky (born Rakim Mayers) was found not guilty on all counts in his 2021 felony shooting case, A$AP Relli (born Terell Ephron) is moving forward with his civil lawsuit against the A$AP Mob frontman.

On Wednesday (Feb. 26), Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William Fahey lifted a hold on Relli’s assault and battery case against Rocky and set a trial date of Jan. 12, 2026, according to Rolling Stone.

Relli’s lawyer, Melisa Mikhail, reportedly appeared virtually at the hearing and said that her client had no plans of dropping the lawsuit while citing the lower burden of proof in a civil versus criminal court.

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“We intend to continue litigating this case,” Mikail said. “The standard in a criminal case is much higher than the preponderance of the evidence standard in a civil matter. We still believe that our claims have merit, and we intend on fully litigating them.”

During the hearing, Rocky’s civil attorney James Sargent reportedly argued that “there’s no longer a basis” for the case. “Mr. Ephron testified in the criminal case as to the facts and circumstances,” Sargent said. “The jury’s acquittal speaks volumes as to how they valued that testimonial evidence.”

The next hearing in the civil lawsuit — which was originally filed in 2022 — is scheduled for May 28. Billboard has reached out to attorneys for both Relli and Rocky for comment.

In both the criminal and civil cases, Rocky is accused of firing a weapon at Relli following a heated confrontation near a Hollywood hotel on Nov. 6, 2021. In the criminal trial, Relli maintained that he was grazed by gunfire, but Tacopina argued that the weapon was in fact a prop gun filled with blanks.

Rocky, who had faced two felony counts of assault with a firearm and a maximum of 24 years in prison in the criminal case, was acquitted by a jury on Feb. 18. Upon the reading of the verdict, the Harlem rapper embraced his attorney and then dove into the gallery to celebrate with his partner, Rihanna. The rapper had earlier turned down a final plea deal ahead of trial that would have resulted in a 180-day jail sentence.

25 Feb 2025

Graceland Theft Case: Woman Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Steal Elvis Presley’s Famous Home

A Missouri woman has pleaded guilty to mail fraud for her role in an alleged scam to steal the Elvis Presley family’s ownership interest in the famed Graceland mansion.

Lisa Jeanine Findley, who has gone by various aliases including Lisa Holden and Lisa Howell, initially pleaded not guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft last year. But during a hearing before a Memphis federal judge on Tuesday (Feb. 25), Findley agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud. According to court documents, the other charge — a count of aggravated identity theft — will be dismissed as part of the plea deal.

Findley was arrested in August on the charges, with prosecutors alleging she posed as three different people affiliated with a fake company named Naussany Investments & Private Lending to claim that Presley’s daughter, the late Lisa Marie Presley, had utilized the music legend’s Memphis, Tenn., home as collateral for a $3.8 million loan she had failed to repay. Findley also allegedly falsified loan documents and forged the signatures of both Lisa Marie and a notary public in order to file a false deed of trust with the Shelby County Register’s Office, as well as a false creditor’s claim with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles.

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The Justice Department further claimed that Findley published a false foreclosure notice in The Commercial Appeal, Memphis’s daily newspaper, to announce that Naussany Investments intended to auction Graceland if Presley’s family did not pay or settle the claim against the estate.

However, that attempted auction was halted when Elvis’ granddaughter and Lisa Marie’s daughter, Riley Keough — who took over as trustee for the Graceland-controlling Promenade Trust following Lisa Marie’s death in 2023 at age 54 — won a court order blocking it.

“Fame and money are magnets for criminals who look to capitalize on another person’s celebrity status,” Eric Shen, inspector in charge of U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group (USPIS), previously noted in a statement following Findley’s arrest last August. “In this case, Ms. Findley allegedly took advantage of the very public and tragic occurrences in the Presley family as an opportunity to prey on the name and financial status of the heirs to the Graceland estate, attempting to steal what rightfully belongs to the Presley family for her personal gain. Postal Inspectors and their law enforcement partners put an end to her alleged scheme, protecting the Presley family from continued harm and stress.”

Findley is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

25 Feb 2025

The 1975 Band Members Not Liable for Malaysian Festival Losses, Judge Rules

Members of the British band The 1975 cannot be held personally liable for losses of a Malaysian music festival that was shut down by authorities after lead singer Matty Healy kissed a male bandmate on stage, a London judge ruled Monday.

The organizer of the Good Vibes Festival is seeking 1.9 million pounds ($2.4 million) in losses after Healy criticized the country’s anti-homosexuality laws and then kissed bassist Ross MacDonald at the Kuala Lumpur show in July 2023.

Footage of the kiss sparked a backlash in the predominantly Muslim country, where homosexuality is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and caning. Some LGBTQ+ groups also criticized the band for endangering its community and disrupting the work of activists pushing for change.

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Future Sound Asia sued The 1975 Productions LLP in the High Court over breach of contract and said its four members owed a duty of care. But the band’s lawyer argued that the suit should only target the company — not the musicians.

Judge William Hansen said the claims against the band members were “bad as a matter of law and that there is no good reason why the matter should go to trial.” He allowed the case to proceed against the company, but ordered FSA to pay 100,000 pounds ($126,000) in legal costs.

Band attorney Edmund Cullen had argued the claim was an “illegitimate, artificial and incoherent” attempt “to pin liability on individuals” because FSA only had a contract with the band’s company.

FSA’s attorney Andrew Burns said authorities had initially refused to let the band perform because of reports about Healy’s drug addiction and subsequent recovery. They relented after the band promised he would follow guidelines and regulations, he said.

When the band played the same festival in 2016, they had agreed not to swear, smoke, drink, take off clothes or talk about religion and politics on stage, Burns said.

Burns said the band deliberately provoked Malaysian authorities in 2023 by smuggling a bottle of wine on stage, and through Healy’s “obscene speech” and the kiss. He said the band also performed a “second-rate set of songs” to upset the crowd.

“They could be argued to have been on a frolic of their own rather than simply acting within the course of their ordinary role as LLP members,” Burns said.

The band was supposed to be paid $350,000 (276,000 pounds) for a one-hour set, Burns said.

The show wasn’t the first time Healy made a political statement in the name of LGBTQ+ rights: he kissed a male fan at a 2019 concert in the United Arab Emirates, which outlaws same-sex sexual activity.

After the show in the Malaysian capital, The 1975 canceled its concerts in Taiwan and Jakarta, Indonesia.

The Malaysian government has blacklisted the band.

This article was originally published by the Associated Press.

24 Feb 2025

Megan Thee Stallion Can Depose Tory Lanez in YouTuber Defamation Lawsuit, Judge Rules

Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Pete) and her legal team have been granted permission to depose Tory Lanez (Daystar Peterson) behind bars following a ruling by a federal judge on Monday (Feb. 24).

“Plaintiff may take the oral deposition of Daystar Peterson, either remotely via videoconference technology or as otherwise arranged upon agreement with the California Correctional Institution,” reads the ruling, filed in Florida federal court by Judge Cecilia Altonaga.

Megan and her legal team’s motion — which was unopposed by the defense — comes as part of the rapper’s lawsuit against blogger and social media personality Milagro “Gramz” Cooper. In the suit, filed last October, Megan accused Cooper of cyberstalking, defamation, emotional distress and engaging in a “coordinated campaign” to spread “vicious and hateful rumors.”

Megan alleges that Cooper served as a “mouthpiece and puppet” for Lanez by promoting deepfake pornography of her and making unsubstantiated claims that she suffered from alcoholism in a series of YouTube videos. To back up these claims, her legal team said they’d discovered prison phone calls during which Lanez coordinated payments to Gramz.

Representatives for Megan, Cooper and Lanez did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s requests for comment on the judge’s ruling.

Lanez is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence after being convicted over a 2020 incident in which he shot at Megan’s feet during an argument following a small party at Kylie Jenner’s Hollywood Hills home. His appeal remains pending.

In January, Megan was granted a five-year restraining order against Lanez after she tearfully testified that the R&B singer and convicted felon has continued to “terrorize” her from behind bars with a “campaign of harassment.”

“It just seems like I have to relive it every day,” Megan said during a video livestream. “The person who shot me won’t let me forget it. I’m scared that when he gets out of jail he’s going to still be upset with me … I feel like maybe he’ll shoot me again and maybe this time I won’t make it.”

24 Feb 2025

Cardi B Secures Million-Dollar Repayment Plan From YouTuber for Defamation Verdict

Gossip blogger Tasha K has agreed in bankruptcy court to pay Cardi B more than $1 million over the next five years and to not make any “derogatory, disparaging, or defamatory statements” about the superstar.

In court filings Friday (Feb. 21), attorneys for Tasha (Latasha Kebe) offered a plan to resolve her years-long federal bankruptcy case — proceedings made necessary by a $3.9 million judgment for defaming Cardi with outlandish claims of drug use, STDs and prostitution.

The new plan will cover only $1.2 million — less than a third of that fine. But under the terms of the agreement, Tasha will still owe the rest of the damages award even after she finishes the repayment plan: “The Almanzar Claim is non-dischargeable.”

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In the first year of the agreement, known as a “plan of reorganization,” Tasha will pay $44,907 per quarter to her unsecured creditors, the vast majority of which will go to Cardi. By year five, those quarterly payments will escalate to $81,057.

In an unusual feature, the bankruptcy plan also includes a non-disparagement clause, barring Tasha not only from defaming Cardi while the plan is in place but also from even mentioning her or any of her family members.

“The Debtor shall ensure that no content related to Ms. Almánzar and/or her family, whether explicitly or implicitly, will be published or disseminated on any of the Debtor’s social media accounts, websites, blogs, or other online communication channels,” her lawyers wrote.

Attorneys for both sides did not immediately return requests for comment.

The filing is the latest wrangling in Cardi’s long-running efforts to collect on the huge 2022 judgment, which came after a federal jury found that Tasha had made false and defamatory statements about the superstar on YouTube and other platforms.

Cardi has repeatedly vowed to recover that money by any means necessary — saying “imma come for everything” and “b—- better have my money.” Tasha filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023, saying she still owed $3.4 million to Cardi and had less than $60,000 in assets. But the rapper has pursued her, later winning a ruling that Tasha couldn’t use the bankruptcy process to “discharge” the judgment.

In December, Cardi’s attorneys demanded that the bankruptcy case be dismissed entirely, accusing Tasha of orchestrating a “long-running fraudulent scheme to shield debtor’s assets and income from creditors.” They said she had fraudulently transferred and concealed money and had lied to both Cardi and the federal courts.

“It is clear and irrefutable that debtor has admittedly and repeatedly engaged in bad faith conduct to hinder, delay, and defraud Ms. Almánzar from collecting on the amended defamation judgement,” the star’s lawyers wrote. “This court should not allow debtor to further abuse the bankruptcy process.”

A day after Cardi filed her motion to dismiss, the court-appointed trustee — a neutral third party who helps shepherd a bankruptcy case toward a repayment plan — filed her own motion endorsing Cardi’s arguments and urging the judge to dismiss Tasha’s bankruptcy case.

The threat of such an outcome likely forced Tasha’s attorneys to negotiate Friday’s agreement, avoiding the risk that the bankruptcy would be dismissed entirely.

21 Feb 2025

Chloe Bailey Sued for Failing to ‘Appropriately Credit or Compensate’ Songwriter on ‘Paradise’ Album

R&B star Chloe Bailey (performing as Chlöe) has been accused of failing to properly credit and pay a songwriter who worked on her album Trouble in Paradise and of commercially releasing the songs he wrote without his consent, according to court documents filed in the Southern District of New York on Thursday (Feb. 20).

In the lawsuit, filed by attorney Tyrone Blackburn, songwriter Melvin “4rest” Moore alleges that the actions of Bailey, along with her label Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records, constitute “copyright infringement, fraudulent misrepresentation, violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), civil conspiracy and deceptive business practices.” 

According to the complaint, Bailey “fail[ed] to appropriately credit or compensate” Moore in connection with the songs he worked on for Trouble in Paradise — “Favorite,” “Might As Well” and “Same Lingerie” — which Moore says were written about his own “personal and…lived experiences.” It also claims that Moore “did not grant consent to the commercial exploitation of the [songs]” he wrote for Bailey and that he did not get an opportunity to “engage in good-faith negotiations” with Bailey’s team around contractual terms, citing an email from Moore’s attorney to Bailey’s counsel on Aug. 8, 2024.

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(Records from ASCAP and BMI’s Songview repertory, which contain official accounts about which writers and publishers worked on a given song, indicate that Moore is listed as a writer for “Same Lingerie” and “Might As Well” but not for “Favorite.”)

The lawsuit calls Bailey, Parkwood and Columbia “modern-day swindlers” and claims that Moore’s attorney “repeatedly made good-faith attempts to amicably resolve the matter of [Bailey, Parkwood and Columbia’s] unauthorized commercial exploitation of the works” over the course of “almost 200 days.” 

After not being able to reach an agreement, Moore’s attorney says he issued a DMCA takedown notice, asking for the songs Moore worked on to be removed from the internet. The complaint adds that Moore’s team feels their takedown was “willfully and blatantly ignored.”

Moore is asking for monetary damages up to $150,000 for each intentional violation; a court order to stop further commercial use of the songs; a complete investigation of Bailey, Parkwood and Columbia’s revenue from unauthorized use of the songs; repayment of all profits gained from the songs; a requirement for defendants to publicly retract their claims and properly credit Moore; punitive damages of $5 million per song; and any additional relief the court finds appropriate.

Representatives for Bailey, Parkwood and Columbia Records did not respond to Billboard‘s requests for comment by press time. 

21 Feb 2025

Diddy Attorney Files Motion to Withdraw From Legal Team: ‘Under No Circumstances’ Can I Continue

One of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attorneys has filed a motion to step down from representing the incarcerated hip-hop mogul.

Per court documents filed in the Southern District of New York on Friday (Feb. 21), Anthony Ricco said that while he had “provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice.”

Combs retained Ricco’s counsel on Sept. 22, 2024. He will continue to be represented by five other attorneys on record, including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos.

“This motion for withdrawal of counsel, if granted, will not result in a delay of the present schedule for the commencement of jury selection and trial, or the present schedules for briefing of pre-trial legal issues,” the filing continues. “As a result, there will be no lapse in representation, as Sean Combs will continue to be represented by five other attorneys of record.”

Earlier this week, Combs’ attorneys filed a motion in New York federal court calling for a sex trafficking charge to be dropped from his indictment. The disgraced hip-hop mogul’s legal team alleged the charge has racist origins, arguing that “no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution” under The Mann Act, under which the charge was brought.

Combs was arrested in September and is currently detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center awaiting trial, which is slated to start in May. Prosecutors allege Combs was running a criminal enterprise that had been set up to satisfy his need for “sexual gratification.” The rapper has also been accused of carrying out acts of violence and using intimidation tactics to keep his alleged victims from speaking out. If convicted on all charges, Combs faces life in prison.

21 Feb 2025

Argentine Court Drops Negligence Charges Against Three in Liam Payne’s Death

A court in Argentina dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with the death of Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who fell from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last October, according to a ruling obtained by The Associated Press.

A preliminary autopsy report cited multiple traumas and hemorrhages as the cause of death, while a toxicology report revealed alcohol, cocaine, and prescription antidepressants in Payne’s system.

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The court cleared Esteban Grassi, head receptionist at the CasaSur Hotel, Rogelio Nores, an Argentine-American businessman who accompanied Payne on the trip, and Gilda Martin, the hotel’s manager. Grassi had made two emergency calls prior to the accident, first reporting that a guest was “trashing the entire room” and later expressing concerns that the guest “may be in danger.” 

Prosecutors argued that Nores neglected his duty of care by leaving Payne alone while intoxicated, but the court ruled that he had no legal obligation. Martin and Grassi, who had escorted Payne to his room, were also cleared, as the court found insufficient evidence that their actions directly contributed to his fatal fall.

However, two other defendants, Ezequiel David Pereyra, a former hotel employee, and Braian Paiz, a waiter who served Payne at a restaurant, remain in custody. They are charged with supplying narcotics to Payne, an offense that carries a prison sentence of four to 15 years in Argentina. The court justified their continued detention due to the severity of the charges.

In Argentina’s legal system, prosecutors gather evidence for a judge to decide whether a case proceeds to trial.

Payne was laid to rest in November in the U.K., with his funeral attended by his One Direction bandmates, girlfriend Katie Cassidy, and ex-partner Cheryl Cole, with whom he shared a son.