Music Executive L.A. Reid is being sued by a former music executive who says that he sexually assaulted and sexually harassed her over two decades ago.
Former music executive Drew Dixon claims that her career in the music industry began to decline after rejecting advances from Reid, including two assaults that allegedly occurred in 2001.
The first assault occurred in January 2001 while flying to Puerto Rico for a business retreat. Dixon states that Reid played with her hair, kissed her and penetrated her without consent.
The second assault allegedly occurred months later after leaving an event in New York during a ride home. Reid has been accused of groping, kissing and penetrating her without consent, again.
Dixon’s complaint states that an industry insider labeled her as the “female Rick Rubin.” She also claims that Reid became “hostile” when she rejected his demands of meeting late at night at his hotel or wearing short skirts instead of jeans. This resulted in her artists being rejected and budgets being cut.
Drew Dixon released a statement through her lawyers stating that Reid’s “persistent campaign of sexual harassment and assault forced me to abandon the work I loved when I was at the top of my game in the music business.”
Dixon left the music industry in 2002 and attended Harvard Business School.
Dixon is suing Reid for an unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in her lawsuit in Manhattan federal court.
According to Reuters, Dixon is suing under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act. The survivors act gives adults a one-year window to sue over alleged sexual abuse, even if statutes of limitations have expired. Reports state that Dixon’s window closes this month.
