Kevin Liles, Def Jam Prevail Against ‘Jane Doe’ Sexual Assault Claims—Federal Judge Fully Dismisses Case

A judge has tossed a civil sexual assault complaint brought against Kevin Liles by a former Def Jam executive assistant.

An anonymous woman filed a sexual assault claim against legendary record executive Kevin Liles back in February. The suit alleged that Liles, who was the woman’s boss and the president of Def Jam at the time, made sexually inappropriate comments and contact, and ultimately raped her in 2002. Liles denied the claims, and a judge has since thrown out the lawsuit altogether.

It turns out that the anonymous Jane Doe’s allegations are barred from court upon discovery that Def Jam’s parent, Universal Music Group (UMG), already paid the woman. She was paid $47,500 in 2005 to settle a civil complaint she’d filed with New York state regulators.

In the original complaint, the woman alleged she was unlawfully fired in retaliation for complaining about Liles’ verbally harassing and dancing inappropriately with her. That complaint, notably, did not include rape claims. UMG agreed to pay the woman in exchange for her agreeing not to bring further legal action, though the company did not admit any wrongdoing.

It’s also worth mentioning that Liles was not involved in that settlement, since he’d left Def Jam by the time it was signed. However, U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald determined in an order on Monday that the release language still “expressly and unambiguously covered” Liles—meaning the woman cannot sue the mogul for the same allegations.

“The agreement and release itself contains no language cabining its terms at all,” wrote Judge Buchwald. “To the contrary, the agreement consistently and intentionally utilizes broad language discharging ‘any and all’ claims which ‘are known or reasonably should be known’ by [the] plaintiff.”

Judge Buchwald threw out the complaint with prejudice, ruling that there’s no amendment Jane Doe could make that would allow her to “avoid the consequences of a comprehensive settlement agreement.”

Liles held the reins at Def Jam from 1999 to 2004, and co-founded 300 Entertainment with Lyor Cohen, Roger Gold, and Todd Moscowitz in 2012. The label rapidly gained recognition for developing hip-hop stars like Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, and Migos. 300 Entertainment was acquired by Warner for $400 million in 2021, and Liles stepped down as the company’s CEO last year.