In the 105-page complaint, Blackburn said that Jones’ “life has been detrimentally impacted ever since” he agreed to produce the album in August 2022. Jones alleged that he was “under an implied work-for-hire agreement” with Combs and lived with the recording giant for months at a time in Combs’ homes in Los Angeles, New York City and Miami, as well as several weeks on a yacht rented by Combs in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Britain’s Prince Harry was also mentioned in the new complaint. Although no allegation of wrongdoing on his part was made, the prince was referred to in a section about why Grainge “ignored the numerous red flags about Mr. Combs ... to receive financial benefits from Mr. Combs and his sex trafficking venture.” (Sex abuse and sex trafficking claims have dogged Combs over the past year, beginning with a November lawsuit brought by ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura that was filed and settled within days.)

“Before Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit was filed, Mr. Combs was a popular and highly influential figure in the music industry to whom everyone wanted to connect. Mr. Combs was known for throwing the ‘best’ parties. Affiliation with and/or general business partnerships with Mr. Combs garnered legitimacy, immense success, and access to top and emerging artists, celebrities, famous athletes, political figures, musicians, and international dignitaries like British Royal and Prince Harry.”

Grainge, the complaint said, “knew first-hand the power, influence, and effect attaching themselves to Mr. Combs would have on their bottom-line and, as evidenced by their repeated general business partnership agreements ... profited from their affiliation with Mr. Combs and their general business partnership, which came with unmonitored financing that may have supported his sex-trafficking enterprise.”

A representative for Grainge at Universal Music Group did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.

———

(L.A. Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.)

———

©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.