Cuba Gooding Jr. Named as Co-Defendant in Diddy Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Cuba Gooding Jr. has been named as a co-defendant in a lawsuit filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs by music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. Jones initially filed the lawsuit last month, alleging that he was sexually harassed, drugged, and threatened by Combs for more than a year. The complaint was amended on Monday in federal court to include Gooding as a co-defendant. That same day, Homeland Security Investigation agents raided Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles homes in what they call “an ongoing investigation.”

According to the lawsuit, Gooding fondled and groped Jones’ “legs, upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks, and his shoulders” on Combs’ yacht in 2023. While Jones rejected Gooding, the Academy Award-winning actor “did not stop until Mr. Jones forcibly pushed him away.”

“As the owner of the property, Mr. Combs had a duty to protect Mr. Jones from the harm he suffered at the hands of Cuba Gooding Jr. Mr. Combs breached his duty when he failed to stop Cuba Gooding Jr from sexually assaulting Mr. Jones. In furtherance of this breach, Mr. Combs encouraged Cuba Gooding Jr to continue his assault on Mr. Jones when he said that Cuba Gooding Jr should privately get to know Mr. Jones better. Mr. Jones has suffered immensely because of Mr. Combs’s intentional breach of his duty to him,” the lawsuit reads.

To date, over 20 women have accused Gooding of sexual misconduct. Before Jones’ complaint, Gooding was most recently sued by two women (in two separate complaints) in November 2023.

Details Surrounding Rodney Jones’ Lawsuit Against Sean “Diddy” Combs

In his lawsuit, Jones shares that he met Combs in August 2022 and the two collaborated on The Love Album: Off the Grid. Jones makes many damning allegations against Combs in the lawsuit (which is over 100 pages long), including being a witness to Combs’ criminal activities, sexual harassment, and threats. Jones alleges that he was “the victim of constant unsolicited and unauthorized groping” by Combs, with the music mogul even telling Jones he would win a Grammy if “he engaged in homosexual acts.” He claims a woman sexually assaulted him during Thanksgiving 2022 under Comb’s guidance. Jones says that he witnessed Combs drug minor girls, noting a 2023 event where he laced the drinks of multiple girls, all under 16.

Jones says he has been hesitant to speak out against Combs due to a history of violence and threats. The lawsuit cites a 1999 incident where Combs was charged for a shooting at a New York-based nightclub. Combs was acquitted, but according to Jones, he would often discuss the incident “bragging about having law enforcement under control, bragging about murdering people, and bragging about bribing witnesses and jurors.”

According to Jones, Combs would often threaten him, even telling him that he was “willing to kill his mother, Janice Combs, if he must get what he wanted, so he wouldn’t think twice about harming Mr. Jones.” In a statement to CourtTV, Combs’ camp called Jones a con man:

“Mr. Jones is nothing more than a con man, shamelessly looking for an easy and wholly undeserved payday. We have indisputable, incontrovertible proof that his claims are complete fabrications. Our attempts to share this proof … have been ignored. … We look forward to addressing these ridiculous claims in court and intend to take all appropriate action against all who are attempting to peddle them.”

Human trafficking and sexual abuse allegations against Combs have come to light following Cassie Ventura’s 2023 lawsuit. The singer was signed to Combs’ label and dated him for over a decade until 2018. In her complaint, she alleged that he would record her having sex with male sex workers and that he raped her. Several other sexual misconduct allegations have followed. Combs has denied them all and has not been criminally charged.