Longtime music director Kevin Liles, German Jam Records and Universal Music Group, reportedly was sued by women for rape and sexual assault.
Former DEF JAM employee accuses Kevin Liles of rape
On Thursday (February 27), the variety show broke the news that an anonymous female accuser recently filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court claiming she sexually harassed and assaulted Liles during her time as executive assistant at DEF JAM in the early 2000s. The lawsuit says that Liles, who was then president of Def Jam, first made unnecessary sexual assault and derogatory comments to the complainant. Things eventually escalated to him push his body towards her breasts and grab her hips.
In one alleged case in 2002, Doe claimed that Liles raped her after rejecting his progress. The U.S. Department of Energy will file a lawsuit against the gender-motivated Violence Protection Act victims, which allows victims of crimes committed by March 1 to file lawsuits.
Jane Doe’s attorney Lucas B. Franken issued a statement about the new lawsuit.
“We praise our clients for their determination to seek justice for sexual abuse she suffered and the sheer courage to stand up with a famous celebrity character,” he told Variety. “In our long experience in defending victims of sexual abuse, we have witnessed a common topic that they are often alone in abuse. Based on violence and serious behavior, we hope others are abused, and we hope that they can also stand up and share their experiences and seek justice.”
According to photos on his Instagram account, Liles turned 56 on Thursday and is currently celebrating his birthday with Def Jam founder Russell Simmons.
Kevin Liles is one of the most famous executives in City Music, serving as president of Def Jam Records and executive vice president of Island Def Jam Music Group from 1999 to 2004. He also served as the EVP of Warner Music Group. In 2012, he co-founded 300 entertainment shows. Liles took a step back from his position on the tag last September.
XXL has been approached by Def Jam and UMG to comment.
