Source: Emma McIntyre / Getty
Legendary music industry executive Jimmy Iovine has been issued a summons by an anonymous plaintiff who has accused him of sexual abuse.
According to Variety, the summons was filed last week in the Supreme Court of the State of New York County. And while the filing doesn’t go into much explicit detail regarding what Iovine is accused of doing exactly, it claims the plaintiff listed as “Jane Doe” has “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.”
Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine is being sued over alleged sexual misconduct and abuse https://t.co/V2dHTlEbWC
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 22, 2023
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Iovine not only denied the allegations, but they told Variety it was the first time they had heard them.
“We are quite shocked and baffled by this alleged claim,” the spokesperson said. “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, including this unknown plaintiff prior to now.”
The accuser’s summons comes just before the window closed last Friday for plaintiffs in New York State to file sex abuse lawsuits even after the statute of limitations had expired under the Adult Survivors Act. According to the New York Times, more than 3,000 civil suits had been filed before the window expired. Those suits included filings against former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, music mogul L.A. Reid, rockstar Axl Rose, and, most notably, Sean “Diddy” Combs, who settled his suit filed by singer and ex-girlfriend Cassie just one day after the news broke.
The same lawyers who represented Cassie in her (quickly settled) lawsuit against Diddy are suing Interscope Records co-founder Jimmy Iovine for sexual harassment and abuse.
Doug Wigdor’s firm filed this notice of summons in New York state court today. No complaint yet. pic.twitter.com/nt6EYRmHvW
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) November 23, 2023
Also hit with sex assault lawsuits today under NYS Adult Survivors Act, which expires on Friday:
1. Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of @Interscope
2. Axl Rose of @gunsnroses
3. Marcellus Wiley, former @NFL player
4. Cuba Gooding Jr (2)
5. Harve Pierre, former President @BadBoyEnt
— Anthony Beach (@morganbeach23) November 22, 2023
From Variety:
According to the court document, Doe is asserting claims pursuant to inter alia, New York common law for assault and battery; the New York City Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act; and the New York City Human Rights Law. Attorneys are seeking compensation to be determined at trial, including for punitive damages, inter alia physical injury and more. Iovine is required to serve a notice of appearance or demand for complaint within 20 days after the summon’s servicing, or 30 days after service is complete if the summons isn’t delivered personally to him in New York.
