12-07-2023
An unnamed woman filed a complaint in a New York court against Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine. The lawsuit alleges the woman “suffered as a result of being sexually abused, forcibly touched, and subjected to sexual harassment and retaliation in violation of anti-discrimination laws in or around August 2007.” The woman is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. Iovine’s representative issued a statement in response: "We are quite shocked and baffled by this alleged claim. This inquiry is the first we’ve heard of this matter. No one has ever made a claim like this against Jimmy Iovine, nor have we been contacted or made aware of any complaint by anyone.” Iovine is one of the most high-profile music producers in the U.S.
Recent headlines have included similar accusations against other high-profile music industry men, including L.A. Reid, Axl Rose, and Sean "Diddy" Combs. A former girlfriend and musician accused Combs of “abuse, violence, and sex trafficking” for years. Combs denied the allegations and reached a settlement with his accuser the next day. However, two other women filed suit against Combs just before the deadline. One woman alleges Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her as a college student in 1991. Combs denies these allegations as well.
The women brought these cases under the New York Adult Survivors Act. The Act created a one-year window for alleged survivors to bring legal action for incidents otherwise barred by statute of limitations. The law’s window closed on November 23. The New York Times reported over 3,000 lawsuits were filed during that one-year window.