Kevin Liles is looking to sidestep his sexual assault lawsuit. In new legal docs, Liles asked to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit alleging he raped a woman in 2002 when he was a Def Jam executive.
According to TMZ, Liles will argue that the woman waited too long to file the claims, citing the statute of limitations. Additionally, Liles stated the accusations are “entirely false” and are baseless.
In February, the unnamed woman, filing as Jane Doe, claims she began working at Def Jam in 1999 and was subjected to persistent sexual harassment from Liles between 2000 and 2002. The suit alleges that Liles frequently pressed his body against her, grabbed her buttocks, and made unwanted advances despite her repeated rejections.
The lawsuit further claims that in 2002, Liles escalated his behavior and sexually assaulted and raped her.
Liles, a key figure at Def Jam until 2004, became a top executive at Warner Music Group and remained until his resignation in September 2023.
The lawsuit also names Def Jam Recordings and Universal Music Group (UMG) as defendants, alleging that the label fostered an environment where harassment and misconduct were tolerated.