Kevin Liles Cleared In Courtroom As A long time-Outdated Settlement Resurfaces
Kevin Liles dodged a career-threatening authorized blow in New York after a federal choose dismissed a sexual assault lawsuit tied to his time main Def Jam, citing a long-buried 2005 settlement from Common Music Group that successfully shielded him from the claims.
The lawsuit, filed in February by a lady recognized solely as Jane Doe, accused Kevin Liles of sexually harassing, groping and raping her in 2002 whereas she labored as his government assistant.
Liles, who served as president of Def Jam from 1999 to 2004, denied the allegations outright, calling them “patently false” and insisting he has “all the time handled individuals proper, particularly girls.”
However U.S. District Decide Naomi Reice Buchwald dominated Monday that the case couldn’t transfer ahead due to a previous settlement between Doe and UMG.
In 2005, the label paid her $47,500 to settle a criticism she filed with New York state regulators, alleging she was fired after reporting verbal harassment and inappropriate dancing by Liles.
That criticism didn’t point out rape, however the choose stated the settlement’s language coated all doable claims from that point.
“The settlement and launch itself incorporates no language cabining its phrases in any respect,” Buchwald wrote in accordance with Billboard. “On the contrary, the settlement constantly and deliberately makes use of broad language discharging ‘any and all’ claims which ‘are recognized or fairly must be recognized’ by plaintiff.”
The court docket dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, which suggests Doe can not refile or amend the case.
The ruling successfully shut the door on any future authorized motion tied to the identical occasions. The choice turned what might have been a dangerous authorized battle right into a closed chapter for the music government.
This wasn’t the one accusation Liles confronted this 12 months.
In a separate incident, he publicly accused rapper Woman Luck of trying to extort him for $30 million by threatening to publish a ebook and file a lawsuit crammed with “totally false and horrendous allegations.”
Woman Luck had been signed to Def Jam throughout Liles’ management.
Liles’ affect in Hip-Hop spans a long time. After exiting Def Jam in 2004, he co-founded 300 Leisure in 2012 with Lyor Cohen, Roger Gold and Todd Moscowitz.
The label helped launch the careers of Megan Thee Stallion, Migos and Younger Thug earlier than being bought to Warner Music Group for $400 million in 2021.
He stepped down as CEO of 300 in 2024 and left Warner Music Group later that 12 months. Whereas he’s saved a low profile since, business sources say he’s exploring new ventures exterior the music enterprise.
