L.A. Reid Faces Sexual Assault Allegations in Lawsuit by Former Employee
Antonio “L.A.” Reid is making headlines this week after a former employee came forward accusing the Grammy-winning music executive of sexual assault and harassment.
According to a suit filed on Wednesday (Nov 8) in Federal District Court in Manhattan, former Arista Records employee Drew Dixon alleges that the industry veteran assaulted her on two occasions in 2001.
Additionally, Dixon alleges that Reid, who became her supervisor in the mid-2000s, subsequently reduced her budget and marginalized artists when she rejected his persistent advances, ultimately hindering her ability to sign or nurture talents, such as a young John Legend.
“This litigation is not only about the horrific physical assaults that Ms. Dixon had to endure, but it is also about the irreparable damage done to the rare and blossoming career of an extraordinary talent,” the lawsuit said.
Dixon left Arista in 2002 and contends that Reid’s harassment stifled her “meteoric trajectory” in the music business. She initially made her allegations public in 201, the same year Reid left his position as CEO of Epic Records after a former female assistant accused him of sexual harassment.
Reid told The New York Times then: “I’m proud of my track record promoting, supporting, and uplifting women at every company I’ve ever run. That notwithstanding, if I have ever said anything capable of being misinterpreted, I apologize unreservedly.”
Dixon’s suit is filed under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act, passed last year, which allows alleged victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to sue even if the original statute of limitations has passed. The deadline is Nov. 24. She is seeking unspecified damages.
