Source: Aaron J. Thornton / Getty
Music executive Kevin Liles, who’s worked with artists like D’Angelo, Megan Thee Stallion, and Young Thug and is the former president of Def Jam Records, has responded to a sexual assault lawsuit recently filed in New York Superior Court.
“I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening,” Liles said in a statement to Variety. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
The Jane Doe says that she was sexually harassed by Liles when she was working at Def Jam. First hired in 1999, as an assistant to the general manager, she says that Liles would make “derogatory and degrading” comments related to her gender and appearance and then escalated the harassment physically in the next two years by rubbing his body against her and touching her against her will. She says that in 2002 after she turned down his sexual advances, he raped her.
She is also suing Universal Music Group, the parent company of Def Jam, saying the company enabled the harassment and should have known that Liles had a “propensity” for “violence” of that kind. In 2023, Liles was named in a sexual assault suit filed against Atlantic Records artist Trey Songz that claims Liles knew about multiple sexual assault allegations against the R&B singer. Liles is Songz’s manager. The $25M suit, also filed by a Jane Doe, was settled privately in 2024.
The suit against Liles was filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which extended the period in which alleged sexual assault survivors could file claims. At the time of the alleged assault, Liles was president of Def Jam and EVP of Island Def Jam, where he worked from 1999 to 2004. In 2024, he stepped down as chairman and CEO of Warner Music’s 300 Elektra Entertainment, a company he co-founded with former Warner Music head Lyor Cohen.
The attorneys representing the Jane Doe told Variety, “We commend our client for her determination to seek justice for the sexual abuse she endured, as well as the sheer bravery it took to come forward against a well-known, celebrity figure.”They added, “In our lengthy experience defending sexual abuse victims, we have witnessed a common thread, and that is that they are often not alone in their abuse. Based on the violent and egregious conduct, we expect that others were also abused, and we hope that they can also come forward to share their experiences and pursue justice.”
See social media’s reacting to the accusations below.
