Music executive Kevin Liles is being sued by a woman alleging she was sexually assaulted when he was an executive at Def Jam Recordings in 2002.
According to court documents filed in New York Supreme Court and obtained by TMZ, the unidentified woman, who was employed at Def Jam, claims she endured repeated instances of sexual harassment by Liles from 2000 to 2002 during her time with the company.
Jane Doe, who started working as an executive assistant to the general manager at Def Jam in 1999, accuses him of constantly pressing his body against her breasts and grabbing her buttocks at work.
Doe’s attorney Lucas B. Franken, partner at Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC, released a statement following the lawsuit filing. “We commend our client for her determination to seek justice for the sexual abuse she endured, as well as the sheer bravery it took to come forward against a well-known, celebrity figure,” he said. “In our lengthy experience defending sexual abuse victims, we have witnessed a common thread and that is that they are often not alone in their abuse. Based on the violent and egregious conduct, we expect that others were also abused, and we hope that they can also come forward to share their experiences and pursue justice.”
Liles is accused in the suit of repeatedly making rejected sexual advances towards her before she was allegedly raped.
According to Variety, Def Jam and Universal Music Group are also named in the suit because the two companies “not only knew or should have known” of Liles’ “propensity to commit the aforementioned crimes of violence,” but also enabled how he engaged with employees.
Liles responded to the allegations in a statement to Variety on Thursday, calling the the claims against him “slander” and “outrageous.”
“I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening,” he said. “I wish I could share a more detailed response to this slander, but this is the first I’ve heard of this claim and the anonymous accuser’s attorney shared the lawsuit with gossip influencers and media outlets before it was even posted by the court, so my attorneys and I have not seen the actual lawsuit.”
He continued: “After nearly 40 years of service to our culture, I’ve intentionally built a reputation for doing things the right way, treating people the right way, and empowering women. It is a shameful reality that these lies spread so freely. My attorneys and I will fully clear my name, and when we are successful, this anonymous accuser and her attorney will face a defamation lawsuit and every other available legal consequence. These allegations will not derail my mission to be of service to our community, and focus on the greater good and greater God.”
Liles served as President of Def Jam and EVP of Island Def Jam, with his full tenure at the company from 1999 to 2004. He joined Warner Music in 2022 after the company acquired 300 Entertainment, which he co-founded with Lyor Cohen. He resigned as chairman and CEO late last year.
View news Source: https://www.complex.com/music/a/jose-martinez/kevin-liles-sexual-assault-lawsuit-alleged-inciden-def-jam-recordings
