Former Grammys CEO Neil Portnow Sued for Allegedly Drugging and Raping Recording Artist in 2018

Lawsuit alleges Recording Academy protected former CEO Neil Portnow, accuses him of drugging and sexually assaulting a 37-year-old Academy member; Portnow denies allegations as "outrageous" and "untrue."

In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, the anonymous plaintiff, a 37-year-old recording artist, alleged that former Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow drugged and sexually assaulted her in his hotel room in New York in June 2018. The plaintiff asserts the Recording Academy aided and abetted Portnow's conduct to protect their reputations.
Portnow, who served as Grammys CEO for 17 years until 2019, denied the allegations, describing them as 'outrageous' and 'untrue.' He suggests the claims are prompted by his refusal to meet the plaintiff’s demands for money and assistance in obtaining a residence visa.
The rape allegation surfaced in January 2020 as part of Deborah Dugan’s discrimination complaint after she was ousted as CEO of the Recording Academy just over a week before the 62nd Grammy Awards.
The plaintiff alleges that she met Portnow in January 2018 at a Grammy event, and in June, after he told her he'd be in New York again, she met him at the Kitano Hotel for an interview. After sipping a glass of wine allegedly offered by Portnow, she began feeling disoriented and subsequently lost consciousness several times while allegedly being sexually assaulted by Portnow.
The plaintiff filed the lawsuit under the Adult Survivors’ Act, a legislation passed in New York that allows survivors of sexual assault to bring forward their allegations in civil court, waiving the statute of limitations. The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages for emotional, physical and psychological distress, including loss of earning capacity.