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Grammy-winning music executive L.A. Reid is facing legal action after a former colleague has accused him of sexual assault.
On November 8, a lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York. It claimed that Reid assaulted Drew Dixon twice when they were working together in 2001.
According to the lawsuit, the first assault occurred on Reid’s private plane during the company retreat in Puerto Rico for Artista Records. When Dixon entered the plane, she was alone with Reid, who instantly began “flirting with her right away.”
As they waited for the others to come on the plane, Dixon claimed that Reid became aggressive. The lawsuit states he began “playing with her hair, kissing her and digitally penetrating her vulva without her consent.” For the rest of the trip, Dixon was accompanied by her assistant, who helped her avoid Reid.
Dixon says her artists were punished as retaliation
The second incident happened in Reid’s car when he told Dixon they would be discussing demo recordings for an unsigned artist, Alice Smith. After she refused Reid’s sexual advances, his response was “punishing the artists Ms. Dixon had already signed or by blocking the artists she attempted to sign.”
According to the suit, “Mr. Reid again, without Ms. Dixon’s permission or consent, began to grope and kiss Ms. Dixon, who squirmed and pushed him away as Mr. Reid’s driver stared straight ahead. When Mr. Reid complained and became visibly irritated with her lack of compliance, Ms. Dixon froze. Mr. Reid again digitally penetrated Ms. Dixon’s vulva without her consent.”
Dixon, former vice president of the label, stated, “L.A. Reid is a known predator who uses his singular professional power to force himself on his victims.” Dixon alleged that the assaults prevented her from carrying out her career and collaborating with upcoming stars, such as John Legend and Kanye West.
Dixon is requesting general and punitive damages along with legal fees
Kenya Davis, her attorney, stated, “As soon as he became CEO of Artista Records, he leveraged his position of authority to sexually harass and assault her.”
The allegations fall under the Adult Survivors Act (ACA). Dixon was a strong advocate for the law to be passed in 2022.
According to the ACA, survivors of adult sexual assault have one year to file a lawsuit. It does not take into account when the abuse happened.
The one-year window to file civil cases opened on November 23, 2022, and closes on November 23, 2023.
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