Veteran music executive Kevin Liles proclaims his innocence in the wake of a new lawsuit filed against him in which a woman alleges he raped her in 2002.
Kevin Liles Denies “Outrageous Claims”
On Thursday evening (Feb. 27), a rep for Kevin Liles provided XXL with a statement following a lawsuit filed against him, Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group in New York Supreme Court this week. In the lawsuit, a Jane Doe claims the music executive raped her when she worked as an executive assistant at Def Jam in 2002. Liles was President of Def Jam and EVP of Island Def at the time.
“I absolutely deny the outrageous claims reported in the press this evening,” the statement reads. “I wish I could share a more detailed response to this slander, but this is the first I’ve heard of this claim and the anonymous accuser’s attorney shared the lawsuit with gossip influencers and media outlets before it was even posted by the court, so my attorneys and I have not seen the actual lawsuit. After nearly 40 years of service to our culture, I’ve intentionally built a reputation for doing things the right way, treating people the right way, and empowering women. It is a shameful reality that these lies spread so freely. My attorneys and I will fully clear my name, and when we are successful, this anonymous accuser and her attorney will face a defamation lawsuit and every other available legal consequence. These allegations will not derail my mission to be of service to our community, and focus on the greater good and greater God.”
Details of the lawsuit, which was initially reported by Variety, include allegations of rape, sexual harassment and derogatory comments. The unnamed woman claims Kevin Liles initially started sexually harassing in 1999 when she was an executive assistant to the general manager. The accusations involve “derogatory and degrading comments based on her gender regarding her body and appearance.” Liles is accused of pushing his body against the woman’s breasts and grabbing her behind from 2000 to 2002.
The alleged rape occurred in 2002, when Jane Doe and Liles were at the office, and she claims she refused his sexual advances. He allegedly forced himself on top of her and raped her despite her protests. Label giant UMG and Def Jam are named in the suit as “not only knew or should have known” of Liles’ “propensity to commit the aforementioned crimes of violence,” and enabled how he interacted with employees.
The woman filed the lawsuit under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which was granted an amendment in 2022. This allowed survivors whose claims were previously time-barred to file suit before March 1, 2025.
