Music Executive Jimmy Iovine Accused of Sexual Abuse and Retaliation by Jane Doe
According to court documents, a woman is suing music executive Jimmy Iovine, claiming that the Interscope Records co-founder sexually abused her and touched her without her consent. Iovine says he is “shocked and baffled” by the allegation.
A plaintiff who goes by Jane Doe filed a summons and notice on Wednesday in New York and claims that Iovine, 70, was involved in “multiple instances of sexual abuse and forcible touching of her, including a specific incident of sexual misconduct” that took place in New York City in August 2007. The legal document did not provide much more information about the woman’s specific allegations, but a lawsuit is anticipated by the end of the year. The woman also claims that she experienced sexual harassment and retaliation, and is asking for an undetermined amount of damages. Doe’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, did not offer any more comment on the case.
When asked for a comment about the legal document, a representative for Iovine says they are “shocked and baffled” by the allegation. “This is the first time we have heard of this issue,” the representative said. “Jimmy Iovine has never faced a claim like this before, nor have we received or been made aware of any complaint by anyone, including this unknown plaintiff before now.”
Iovine is one of the most successful record executives ever, beginning his career as a producer in the 1970s, working with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, U2 and Stevie Nicks. He co-founded Interscope Records in 1989, running the label until 2014.
As Interscope’s CEO, Iovine helped make the company into one of the biggest labels, bringing in artists like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Tupac through a partnership with Death Row Records in the early 1990s. Dr. Dre left Death Row in 1996 and founded Aftermath Entertainment under Interscope and kept working with Iovine, and the label would go on to sign artists such as Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. Other artists Iovine signed include No Doubt and Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga and Nine Inch Nails. Iovine co-founded Beats By Dre with the rapper-producer in 2006 and sold the company to Apple in 2014 for $3 billion; it is still the largest acquisition in Apple’s history. Dre and Iovine founded the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy at USC in 2013. Last year, Iovine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a recipient of the Ahmet Ertegun Award given to industry professionals.
The Jane Doe accuser is filing her upcoming suit against Iovine under New York’s Adults Survivor Act, which created a one-year window for victims of sexual offenses to file a civil suit against their abuser. The window shuts on Thursday and in the act’s final hours, several lawsuits naming high-profile figures, including Diddy, Russell Brand, Axl Rose and Bill Cosby, have been filed.