*Music executive Antonio “L.A.” Reid is facing renewed legal scrutiny as a lawsuit moves forward alleging sexual assault, harassment, and professional retaliation.
Former Arista Records A&R executive Drew Dixon, who previously accused Russell Simmons of raping her in 1995, has filed suit claiming Reid assaulted her twice in the early 2000s and sabotaged her career when she rejected him. According to court documents, Dixon alleges that after she refused Reid’s sexual advances, he retaliated by obstructing her ability to sign or develop major talent. Variety reports that she claims to have missed out on working with artists including John Legend and Ye, then known as Kanye West, Vibe reports.
A judge recently ruled that Dixon can pursue damages for lost commissions tied to those missed opportunities. Billboard notes that Reid allegedly dismissed Ye’s audition as a “waste of his time,” and he allegedly skipped John Legend’s audition entirely.
The decision, handed down on Aug. 7 by Judge Jeannette A. Vargas, allows Dixon to continue seeking these damages under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. Reid’s legal team had sought to narrow her claims, arguing that the incidents fell outside the statute of limitations, but the judge allowed them to proceed for now.
Dixon’s lawsuit outlines a pattern of “sexualizing and harassing” behavior from Reid. She claims he punished her professionally through actions such as cutting promotional and recording budgets, freezing funds, and rejecting song demos or artist auditions without cause. “It was very clear that I was being punished because I would not comply,” Dixon told The New York Times.
She left Arista in 2002. In a previous interview with the Times, Dixon said, “I have an opportunity now to seek some degree of accountability. And that’s really what I’m trying to do.”
Reid, a prominent figure in the music industry, stepped down as chairman of Epic Records in 2017 after an assistant accused him of sexual harassment. The current lawsuit represents a significant development in the ongoing conversation about misconduct and retaliation in the entertainment business.
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