Former Recording Academy chairman and chief executive, Neil Portnow, is facing serious allegations in a recent lawsuit.
The suit, filed under the Adult Survivors Act, accuses Neil Portnow of sexually assaulting a female musician in a New York hotel room back in June 2018
The plaintiff, identified as JAA Doe, also implicates the Recording Academy, claiming they were aware of Neil Portnow’s predatory behavior towards women and chose to protect their reputation instead of addressing the issue. JAA Doe, an instrumentalist from outside the U.S. who resides in New York, met Neil Portnow at an event in January 2018 and later arranged an interview with him at his hotel. According to the complaint, after consuming wine offered by Neil Portnow, the plaintiff felt disoriented and unable to leave the room. She alleges that Portnow assaulted her throughout the night, even as she lost consciousness intermittently.
Attempts to contact Neil Portnow post-incident were reportedly ignored, and an email detailing the harassment was sent to Recording Academy officials
Despite the allegations, the district attorney’s office chose not to prosecute. This lawsuit comes after Neil Portnow’s controversial 2018 comments urging women to “step up” in the music industry. He was subsequently removed from his position. In 2020, his successor, Deborah Dugan, accused the Academy of concealing the alleged assault and claimed she was terminated in retaliation. The plaintiff, however, only recently came forward with her account of the events. The Recording Academy maintains that the claims are without merit and intends to vigorously defend against the lawsuit. The window for survivors to sue their abusers under the Adult Survivors Act closes on November 24.
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