L.A. Reid And Drew Dixon Settle Sexual Assault Case

Former Arista executive Drew Dixon says she was an industry star in the making when she was sabotaged and sexually assaulted by her then-boss, Arista Records president and CEO Antonio “L.A” Reid in 2001.

The two have now settled a lawsuit that Dixon filed and was set to go to trial on Monday. Terms of the settlement were undisclosed.

As one half of LaFace Records with Babyface, Reid successfully produced and directed the careers of hitmaking artists like Toni Braxton and TLC. LaFace had a distribution deal with Arista, which meant Reid went from having his own label there to running the company.

Dixon was planning to testify that Reid sexually assaulted her on a private plane en route to an event and in his office. She alleged that as a direct result of his actions, she was denied any opportunity to advance. She also says Reid didn’t allow her to sign and develop top artists like Kanye West and John Legend, who was set to testify.

“Mr. Reid has amicably resolved this matter with Ms. Dixon without any admission of liability,” his lawyer, Imran Ansari, said.

Reid, 69, is an industry veteran who first got into the music business as an artist. He and Indianapolis native Babyface formed The Deele out of Cincinnati. The band hit with “Two Occasions,” but Face and Reid left it behind once they started writing and producing for other artists, including L.A.’s then-wife, Pebbles. After their success as a producing duo, they formed a label, LaFace Records, that ultimately found a distribution deal with Arista, hitting with Toni Braxton, Pink, Usher, Outkast and TLC.

Babyface continued as a singer/songwriter and producer, but their paths diverged; the label shut down, and Reid became a sought-after executive, running Island Def Jam and Epic Records. He was also a judge on the singing competition show The X Factor. However, his career has been marred by sexual assault and harassment allegations, and he left Epic in 2017.

Dixon filed her lawsuit in 2023 under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which gives alleged victims of sexual abuse additional time to file a lawsuit after the initial statute of limitations on such crimes runs out. Dixon also has a pending rape case against Russell Simmons, which is currently in the discovery phase.

“Drew has been one of the most courageous and outspoken supporters of survivors of sexual abuse,” Dixon’s lawyer, Kenya Davis, said. “Her advocacy, including her instrumental role in advancing the Adult Survivors Act, has helped shift the balance of power in the music industry, creating a path to justice for survivors.”