Music executive Drew Dixon’s lawsuit against music mogul Antonio “L.A.” Reid has reached a conclusion, on the very day opening statements were set to be made in the trial.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Dixon, known for helping create the seminal hip-hop love ballad “All I Need” by Method Man and Mary J. Blige, originally sued Reid in 2023, alleging the man who helped jumpstart the careers of TLC, Usher, OutKast, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton and others, had sexually assaulted her on two occasions in 2001. Dixon, who worked at Arista Records as the vice president of artist relations under Reid, would leave the company in 2002, suggesting that her rise in the business was cut short due to Reid’s actions.
Outside a Manhattan courtroom on Monday (Jan. 12), Dixon appeared alongside her lawyer, Kenya Davis and her mother, Sharon Pratt, to announce the settlement. The announcement was captured by Inner City Press, which has been covering the case since Dixon’s initial lawsuit.
“I am deeply grateful to my mother and my children for their enduring love and support,” Dixon said. “I would also like to thank my incredible attorneys, Sigrid McCawley, Jacqueline Kelly, Daniel Crispino, Amber Stewart, and the entire Boies, Schiller, Flexner for shepherding me through this arduous process. I hope my work as an advocate for the Adult Survivor’s Act helps to bring all of us closer to a music business that is safer for everyone. In a world where good news is often hard to find, I hope survivors today see a ray of light peeking through the clouds.”
Dixon alleged that Reid assaulted her while he was her boss at Arista Records. John Legend was set to testify in the trial as Dixon alleged Reid blocked her from signing the EGOT winner early in his career as retaliation for her rejecting his advances.
In 2017, 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 at the time: “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.”
