Music executive, Kevin Liles, has responded to a sexual assault lawsuit filed against him recently in New York Superior Court.
He denied the allegations in a statement and hinted a possible defamation suit against the complainant.
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“I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening. I wish I could share a more detailed response to this slander, but this is the first I’ve heard of this claim…
“…and the anonymous accuser’s attorney shared the lawsuit with gossip influencers and media outlets before it was even posted by the court, so my attorneys and I have not seen the actual lawsuit,” the statement read.
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“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.
“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,” it added.
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The former Def Jam Records President, was accused of sexual assault by a former worker, in a suit reportedly filed in Manhattan on Thursday, February 27.
The alleged incident was said to have occurred more than 20 years ago, when the female complainant was working as his executive assistant.
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According to the details, 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.
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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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.
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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.”
