In an interview with Rolling Stone published Tuesday, Jones – a producer on Combs' 2023 " The Love Album: Off the Grid " – detailed what led up to his $30 million racketeering, sexual assault and trafficking lawsuit as well as how he's been coping with the aftermath.
The musician and producer called Combs a "monster" and explained that he's been in hiding since filing the lawsuit. Despite paranoia about his safety, he has ventured into the public eye several times, including a Juneteenth celebration featuring T-Pain at the Hollywood Bowl, for which he was the band director.
"But doing that show, I had a couple mental breakdowns. I almost felt like it was too soon for me to try to come back outside to work. My anxiety was out the roof," he told Rolling Stone. "I saw different guys backstage I didn’t know and got scared. I wondered where the security was. It made me very uncomfortable. It’s not a good feeling wondering if someone was there to attack me."
New York Mayor Eric Adams presented Combs with the key to the city in Times Square on Sept. 15, 2023. The key was returned at the mayor's request earlier this summer. Cindy Ord, Getty Images
"I’ve got three therapists," Jones said. "Everybody saw the video of Cassie . This is who I’m dealing with."
When reached for comment about Jones' Rolling Stone interview, a spokesperson for Combs pointed to a statement from the mogul's lawyer that was released Monday as the rapper's team filed a motion to dismiss Jones' lawsuit.
"Mr. Jones' lawsuit is pure fiction—a shameless attempt to create media hype and extract a quick settlement. There was no RICO conspiracy and Mr. Jones was not threatened, groomed, assaulted, or trafficked," Erica Wolff said. "We look forward to proving – in a court of law – that all of Mr. Jones’s claims are made-up and must be dismissed.”
Jones, who also goes by Lil Rode Madeit and grew up on gospel music, has worked with Mary Mary, Jack Harlow and T-Pain, among other artists. His independently published music has garnered hundreds of thousands of streams on Spotify .
Jones said he'd met Combs at a recording studio writing camp, during which musicians would seek help from producers, in September 2022. When he offered his expertise for instrumentals for one of Combs' songs, the Bad Boy Records founder also asked for help creating the bridge for the track.
On "The Love Album," Jones is credited as a producer on six songs. Per his lawsuit, Jones produced nine songs for Combs. He also claimed to have lived with Combs for a year while working on the album and was never compensated for his work. In a February video , Jones asked supporters for their help by starting a GoFundMe, alleging Combs' team was underpaying him.
"I've tried to get my business straight on this album, but the truth is they ain't playing fair. They hit me below the belt on so many situations," Jones said in the video. "The contract they gave me and the offer they gave me was just disgusting. The producer fee, pennies. And on top of that, these guys are trying to steal my publishing (rights)."
Combs' team denies failing to pay the producer. "Mr. Jones was hired as a session musician and sound engineer for 'The Love Album' and was fully compensated for his contribution," a spokesperson told Rolling Stone.
Levying allegations against Combs has affected his livelihood, Jones claimed.
"I’m broke. I have no source of income right now. Every month I’m trying to figure out how the bills are going to get paid," he said. Later, he added, "Here I am standing up for justice, for what I believe is right for my life, and I’m being punished for that. I’m blackballed, for sure. I’ve had many nights and weeks and months of suicidal thoughts. It’s the music that has kept me living all my life.
Though he has a complete album ready to release, Jones doesn't have the means to market and release it, he said.
"People are too scared, whatever their reasons are, to touch this," he told Rolling Stone. "My name is all over the (Love Album) credits, so I had to have done some producing. It got a Grammy nomination. And I’m sitting here doing nothing, unable to work. This is not right."
Jones added, "(Combs is) nothing to be played with. For a person whose brand is Love Records, and changed their name to Love and named their kid Love, he doesn’t show love. He’s just marketing."
Diddy's lawyers deny Lil Rod's claims: 'Pure fiction'
On Monday, Combs' lawyers filed a formal response to Jones' claims in court and requested the judge to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the "vague allegations" in Jones' filing did not adequately establish claims of Combs operating a RICO enterprise and of Jones being a victim of trafficking and sexual assault.
In the motion to dismiss filing, reviewed by USA TODAY, Combs' attorneys said Jones' complaint consisted of "countless tall tales, shameless celebrity namedrops, and irrelevant images" as well as "legally meaningless allegations and blatant falsehoods."
Combs' team described Jones' lawsuit as a "run of the mill commercial disagreement" that has been "dress(ed) up" as "a salacious RICO conspiracy." They also noted that in his sexual assault allegations against Combs, "Jones fails to plead the most basic facts, such as where and when any purported instance of assault occurred or what allegedly transpired."
Jones' lawsuit reads: "(Combs) physically and sexually assaulted him from October 2022 to October 2023 in Mr.Combs' home in Miami, New York, the United States Virgin Islands, and Los Angeles."
The music mogul has yet to be charged for any of the alleged crimes, but unnamed sources have told Rolling Stone and CNN that New York and federal investigators are closing in on Combs.
If you or someone you know needs support for mental health, suicidal thoughts or substance abuse, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or visiting 988lifeline.org .
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es .
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