Kevin Liles, former Def Jam Records President, has been accused of sexual assault in a recent lawsuit filed file by a former worker.
The suit was reportedly filed in Manhattan on Thursday, February 27, by a female complainant who claimed the music executive sexually assaulted her while she was working as his executive assistant.
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The alleged incidents was said to have occurred more than 20 years ago. The court filing ropes in Universal Music Group and Def Jam Records.
According to the details, available to some outlets, the female executive was hired in 1999 and allegedly faced numerous instances of sexual harassment from Liles between the period of 2000 and 2002, when he was acting as her superior.
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The female executive highlights issues of groping, “sexually inappropriate comments and advances” from her former boss in 2002, all without her consent. Liles had since issued a statement, rejecting all the the allegations, calling them “outrageous”.
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“I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening…After nearly 40 years of service to our culture, I’ve intentionally built a reputation for doing things the right way, treating people the right way, and empowering women. It is a shameful reality that these lies spread so freely,” he told some outlets.
“My attorneys and I will fully clear my name, and when we are successful, this anonymous accuser and her attorney will face a defamation lawsuit and every other available legal consequence,” he added.
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The complaint, according to sources, was able to file the claim due to “a two-year lookback window”, enacted in New York City in 2000, which allows people to file lawsuits related to gender-motivated violence, even after the original statute of limitations was up.
Plaintiff wants UMG and Def Jam Records to be held liable for instances of alleged abuse because they “enabled, permitted, directed, controlled, approved, managed, operated and ratified the manner in which Liles engaged with employees.”
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Records indicate that Liles served as President of Def Jam and EVP of Island Def Jam up until 2004. After his time as president at Def Jam, he co-founded 300 Entertainment with Lyor Cohen. The label’s included Fetty Wap, Mary J. Blige, Young Thug and others.
