A lady has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the previous CEO of the Grammy Awards accusing him of a 2018 sexual assault
NEW YORK — A lady filed a lawsuit Wednesday in opposition to former Grammy Awards CEO Neil Portnow, accusing him of a 2018 sexual assault, and in opposition to the Recording Academy for negligence.
The lady, who was not named, filed the lawsuit in state Supreme Courtroom in Manhattan below the Grownup Survivors Act. The measure, handed final 12 months, created a brief window for individuals who allege sexual assault to file previous the state’s common deadlines.
Within the lawsuit, the girl, described as an internationally identified musician who as soon as performed at Carnegie Corridor, mentioned she met Portnow in early 2018 and had arrange a gathering to interview him at his resort in New York Metropolis later that 12 months. She mentioned he gave her one thing to drink on the assembly that made her intermittently lose consciousness and that he then proceeded to assault her.
A spokesperson for Portnow, who stepped down because the CEO in 2019, mentioned in an e mail that the accusations had been “fully false” and “undoubtedly motivated by Mr. Portnow’s refusal to adjust to the Plaintiff’s outrageous calls for for cash and help in acquiring a residence visa for her.”
The lady mentioned within the lawsuit that she had reached out to the Academy in late 2018 about Portnow. In a press release, the Academy mentioned, “We proceed to imagine the claims to be with out advantage and intend to vigorously defend the Academy on this lawsuit.”
Phrase of the allegations first got here to mild in 2020, after Portnow had stepped down. His successor, Deborah Dugan, was ousted after mere months and spoke of the accusation in opposition to him in submitting a criticism in opposition to the Academy.
