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Antonio "L.A." Reid has reached a settlement with a former Arista employee on the morning his sexual assault trial was scheduled to begin.
On Monday, January 12, attorneys for Drew Dixon announced that she and Reid settled just hours before the famed music executive was set to face trial. Dixon, who worked as an A&R at Arista Records, accused Reid of sexually assaulting her twice in 2001.
“In a world where good news is often hard to find, I hope for survivors that today is a ray of light peeking through the clouds," Dixon said in her own statement, per Billboard.
“Drew Dixon is an extraordinarily talented music executive, and this resolution will empower her to move forward with her creative pursuits — on her own terms — with her reputation, her voice and her career reaffirmed,” Dixon’s attorney, Kenya Davis, said.
In her lawsuit, Dixon alleged Reid sexually harassed her throughout her time at the label. She recalled a time when Reid allegedly “digitally penetrated her vulva without her consent" while they were on a private plane 25 years ago. She also claimed he forcibly kissed and groped her twice. After she declined his advances and spoke out about his behavior, Dixon alleged Reid retaliated by attempting to derail her career.
Reid initially denied the allegations. In court filings, he argued that Dixon's claims weren't valid after she admitted "in prior writings and interviews exculpating Reid of any physical misconduct.” His attorney, Imran H. Ansari, confirmed the settlement, but didn't reveal the terms of their agreement. Ansari also emphasized that the settlement does not mean Reid admitted to any wrongdoing.