Attorneys for Universal Music Group (UMG) and its CEO Lucian Grainge are slamming Tyrone Blackburn, the lawyer representing Diddy‘s accusers, claiming he “knowingly filed recklessly false” lawsuits alleging sex trafficking and sex abuse against their client.
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As we previously shared, last month a producer named Rodney Jones, aka Lil Rod, filed a lawsuit against Diddy, born Sean Combs, alleging the mogul sexually assaulted and harassed him and had committed sex trafficking crimes. Diddy has vehemently denied all allegations of wrongdoing. However, in the lawsuit, several celebrities and associates close to Diddy were also named or had their names redacted with notes suggesting who they were.
Of those names included in Jones’ February 2024 lawsuit, was UMG CEO Sir Lucian Grainge. Jones, who worked on Diddy’s 2022 album ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid,’ alleged that the UMG CEO, along with Diddy and several others, violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – the federal RICO statute that’s more often used in criminal cases against mobsters and drug cartels.
Jones also alleged that the various defendants violated federal sex trafficking laws. In the lawsuit, it alleges that Lucian Grainge “aided, abetted, and induced Sean Combs’ sex-trafficking venture.” Jones also alleged that Grainge was “100 [percent] liable for the actions of Sean Combs.”
RELATED: Justin Combs’ Legal Rep Responds To Allegations In New Lawsuit Against Diddy: ‘All Lies!’
Since Jones’ lawsuit, which followed four others alleging abuse, rape, and sex trafficking against Diddy and his associates, the Bad Boy Records founder and CEO had his homes, planes, and yacht raided by the federal government. On March 25, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York announced that in conjunction with HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and local law enforcement agencies in the latter two cities, had conducted a search and seizure at Diddy’s LA mansion in Holmby Hills, his Miami mansion and yacht on Starr Island, and his personal LoveAir, LLC jet.
While Diddy remains free, with no arrest warrants, criminal charges, or travel restrictions placed against him, the federal agents in LA and Miami have reportedly seized boxes full of several electronic devices from Diddy’s properties. The raids are said to have been a part of the multiple sex abuse, rape, and sex trafficking lawsuits alleging federal crimes against Diddy and his associates.
RELATED: Diddy’s Electronics Seized By Federal Agents In Searches At His Homes
Following Jones’ lawsuit and the federal raids at Diddy’s properties, UMG lawyers defending Sir Lucian Grainge are now slamming the lawyer for Diddy’s accusers, Tyrone Blackburn. On Wednesday (March 27), UMG’s lawyers called the claims in Blackburn’s clients’ lawsuits “offensively false” and “entirely invented.” They also slammed Blackburn, claiming he “knowingly filed false allegations [of criminal wrongdoing] without the slightest factual or legal basis,” and now they are wanting to seek sanctions.
Donald Zakarin, a longtime music industry litigator who represents UMG and Grainge, stated, “A license to practice law is a privilege. Mr. Blackburn, plaintiff’s lawyer, has misused that license to self-promote, gratuitously, falsely, and recklessly accusing the UMG defendants of criminal behavior.”
Zakarin continued, “The [complaint] hurls accusations of criminal racketeering and criminal sex trafficking against the UMG defendants, respected individuals, and companies having utterly nothing to do with plaintiff’s claims. These accusations are recklessly false and, but for the fact that they are embodied in a complaint, would be libelous.”
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Zakarin also addressed Blackburn filing a second, updated complaint this week, that he claims “drastically altered allegations.” Zakarin claimed that in the almost 50 years of being an attorney, this has been the worst lawyering he’s ever seen.
He explained, “In all that time, I have never seen any attorney display anything remotely like the utter indifference shown by Mr. Blackburn towards his obligations as an attorney. I have never seen any lawyer, in any pleading, in any court, accuse people and companies of criminal conduct without the slightest basis and then try to file an amended pleading completely jettisoning every allegation underpinning the original claims and substituting completely different and irreconcilable allegations to support the very same claims.”
A day after Zakarin’s filing, Tyrone Blackburn responded to the UMG motion. On Thursday (March 28), the lawyer representing Diddy’s accusers called UMG’s legal team’s motion a “public relations stunt” filed in bad faith. He said, “They did not have any issues marrying themselves to Mr. Combs when it was popular. Now, suddenly … they are treating Mr. Combs like he has the plague.”
The lawyer for Diddy’s accusers also released a statement to Billboard on Thursday. Blackburn said, “UMG should produce their financial records. Let’s see what the money was used for. Stop trying to escape liability..”
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