A lawsuit accusing music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual harassment, unlawful drug exercise and intercourse trafficking names Bishop TD Jakes as somebody the rapper hoped would assist enhance his picture.
The plaintiff is Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a music producer who, in keeping with the lawsuit, has {a photograph} and different proof of Combs' actions.
Jakes, a Dallas-based megachurch pastor, shouldn’t be among the many defendants within the swimsuit, which incorporates a number of report labels and actor Cuba Gooding Jr., in addition to Combs' son Justin Dior Combs and chief of workers Kristina Khorram.
Jakes is talked about as soon as in a prolonged swimsuit describing Jones as a sufferer of sexual harassment and assault by the elder Combs.
The swimsuit, filed in federal court docket in New York in late March, claims Jones has “irrefutable proof” of Combs “describing how he deliberate to make use of his relationship with Bishop TD Jakes to melt the influence on his public picture of Cassie Ventura's lawsuit.” “
The lawsuit is certainly one of a number of filed in current months in opposition to Combs, together with one by Ventura, an R&B singer who accused him of rape and battery throughout their relationship. It comes across the identical time information retailers reported that federal brokers raided the hip-hop mogul's property and seized weapons and different gadgets.
“As a heterosexual Christian man, Mr. Jones was uncomfortable with Mr. Combs' advances and expressed his concern to Mr. Combs' chief of workers, defendant Kristina Khorram,” in keeping with the lawsuit, which additionally alleges that Combs compelled Jones to solicit feminine intercourse. employees and have intercourse with them at Combs' home in Miami.
Jones, who claims he suffered bodily, monetary and emotional hurt, is searching for monetary and punitive damages and different aid.
Combs' lawyer, Aaron Dyer, stated his shopper is harmless and “will proceed to battle day by day to clear his identify.”
In late 2023, Jakes made headlines for unverified allegations of sexual abuse at events hosted by Combs. In December, a TikTok and YouTube video alleged that Jakes engaged in homosexual intercourse at Combs' events.
In a Christmas Eve sermon, Jakes appeared to disclaim the allegations: “I cannot use his holy day and this holy pulpit to talk a lie when I’ve an opportunity to evangelise the reality.”
Representatives of his division and companies — who selected to not touch upon the newest Combs-related point out of Jakes — denounced the claims as false.
“The current claims circulating on social media about Bishop TD Jakes are obviously false and unsubstantiated,” Jordan A. Hora, govt director of public relations and communications for TD Jakes Group, TD Jakes Ministries and The Potter's Home, stated in an announcement a number of months in the past.
Derrick Williams, govt vice chairman of TD Jakes Leisure, added an announcement particularly concerning Jakes' connections to Combs, the founding father of Revolt Media & TV, a black-owned media firm that introduced in 2021 that it might characteristic a sermon collection hosted by Jakes. .
Williams described how he and Jakes stopped by to have fun the birthday of Combs, who had resigned as Revolt's chairman.
“We each greeted the household, Bishop Jakes recorded a brief video of the birthday celebration and instantly left to attend our different scheduled conferences,” Williams stated. “Any allegation on the contrary is totally unfounded, unverified and false.”
In late January, NBC Information reported that Jakes was the goal of synthetic intelligence-generated misinformation. It stated “the movies implicated characters like Jakes in allegations in opposition to Combs with out proof and used manipulated media to indicate celebrities participating in lewd acts and exaggerated shows of emotion in thumbnail movies.”
The information outlet reviewed YouTube channels that “posted synthetic intelligence-generated pretend information content material about black celebrities” and stated a few of the movies had adverts that generated income for his or her creators.
“YouTube channels that depend on content material that seems to be at the least partially generated by synthetic intelligence have continued to churn out surprising, false tales about Jakes, Combs and others,” it stated.
© Non secular Intelligence Service