Sean "Diddy" Combs has been hit with a court summons request by Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones, the music producer who has accused the rap mogul of sexual misconduct.
According to documents viewed by Newsweek, Jones' attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, is requesting that Combs, and other plaintiffs, are given 21 days to respond to the summons, which is dated April 17 and was filed in the Southern District of New York.
"If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint," reads an excerpt from the filing. "You also must file your answer or motion with the court."
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Combs and Jones via email for comment.
Earlier this month, a judge in the Southern District of New York issued an order requiring counsel for both parties in the case to appear "for a telephone conference on April 9, 2024, at 3:30 p.m." The order was issued by Judge J. Paul Oetken, who is currently overseeing the case.
Jones filed a $30 million lawsuit against Combs in February that raised several different accusations against the mogul including sexual misconduct, grooming, sex trafficking, forced drug use and fraud. Jones produced several tracks on Combs' The Love Album: Off the Grid.
Jones' filing to the federal district court in New York lists in detail his allegations, with one section claiming that Combs' music industry associates, who are also named in the lawsuit, financially benefited from facilitating his alleged unlawful behavior, gaining access to his powerful connections.
Attorneys for Combs previously denied the allegations raised by Jones and said in a statement that "Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines."
"We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies," Combs' attorney, Shawn Holley, stated soon after the lawsuit was filed.
Last month, Combs' residences in Miami and California were raided by officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the agency saying that it "executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners."
The Associated Press, citing law enforcement sources, reported that the raids were related to sex-trafficking allegations brought against Combs.
Following the raid at Combs' residences, his attorney Aaron Dyer issued a statement to Newsweek saying: "Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. This unprecedented ambush—paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence—leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits."
"There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations," the statement continued. "Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name."
In a separate case, Cassie, an R&B singer and Combs' ex-girlfriend, sued him in November, alleging years of sexual abuse. The lawsuit, which accused Combs of forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed, was settled the day after it was filed.
Combs was hit with another lawsuit in December over allegations that he trafficked and sexually abused a woman identified as Jane Doe. The suit accused Combs of "gang rape" and sex trafficking.
On X, formerly Twitter, the rapper addressed the accusations that he raped and trafficked women in a December 6 post that is pinned to the top of his account.
"Enough Is Enough," Combs wrote. "For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy.
"Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth."
Update 4/18/24, 4:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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