Justin Combs and Cuba Gooding Jr. are accused of ducking service in a high-profile federal lawsuit tied to Sean “Diddy” Combs, main plaintiff Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. to hunt courtroom approval to inform them by newspaper adverts in two of the nation’s largest publications.
Jones, a music producer, filed a sweeping civil swimsuit towards Diddy in February of 2024, alleging intercourse trafficking, drug distribution, and different severe misconduct.
The criticism, amended in March, added Gooding Jr. and Justin Combs as co-defendants, accusing them of taking part in roles within the alleged abuse and cover-up.
Gooding Jr. is accused of groping Jones on a yacht rented by Diddy in January 2023. In accordance with the lawsuit, Diddy left Jones alone with the actor, who allegedly assaulted him with out consent.
Justin Combs, Diddy’s eldest son, is called for allegedly serving to facilitate among the actions described within the criticism.
Regardless of a number of makes an attempt to serve each males at identified addresses in California and Florida, Jones’ authorized staff says they’ve hit a wall.
Course of servers tried to succeed in Gooding Jr. at three separate California addresses. At one location, constructing workers confirmed he now not had illustration there. At one other, neighbors stated they’d by no means seen him.
A 3rd deal with was outdated, with neighbors reporting he moved out years in the past. A skip-trace investigation additionally failed to show up a present deal with.
Justin Combs has additionally confirmed elusive.
Course of servers had been blocked by safety at a gated Los Angeles condo complicated. At a Beverly Hills deal with, they had been instructed he had moved with no forwarding data.
In Miami Seashore, guards and locked gates thwarted makes an attempt to serve him at two Star Island properties.
Even a course of server who efficiently served Christian Combs—Justin’s brother—on the similar compound couldn’t attain Justin.
Jones’s authorized staff argues that each males are deliberately avoiding service, noting that Gooding Jr. even acknowledged the lawsuit publicly on a podcast however has refused to interact with the authorized course of.
With conventional strategies exhausted, Jones is asking the courtroom to permit service by publication below New York legislation, which allows different service when typical efforts have failed.
His attorneys argue that publishing notices within the New York Occasions and Los Angeles Occasions is an inexpensive solution to attain each males, given their public profiles and ties to New York and California.
With out courtroom approval for this methodology, Jones says he’ll be unfairly blocked from shifting ahead with severe claims involving sexual assault and trafficking.
A decide has but to rule on the movement for service by publication.
