R&B singer Aaron Hall, former member of the group Guy, remains missing as a private investigator hired in a federal sexual assault lawsuit linked to Sean “Diddy” Combs has failed to serve him with legal papers, according to court filings from plaintiff Liza Gardner’s attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn.
The efforts, spanning over a year across multiple states including California, Ohio, and Georgia, have yielded no confirmed sightings or current address for the 61-year-old singer, prompting Blackburn to seek court approval for service by publication in the Los Angeles Times and South Fulton Neighbor.[1][2] Gardner filed the civil suit in June 2024, accusing Hall and Diddy—along with associated music companies—of sexually assaulting her in 1991 when she was 16, following an MCA Records event. According to the complaint, Diddy and Hall allegedly provided alcohol to Gardner and a friend, took them to Hall’s apartment where Diddy coerced her into sex, Hall then pinned her down and raped her, and Diddy later allegedly choked her at her residence until she passed out.[1][2]
Blackburn detailed “extensive, diligent, and good-faith efforts” to locate Hall, beginning shortly after the lawsuit’s filing. Initial attempts in June 2024 targeted a View Park, California address, where residents and neighbors confirmed Hall had moved, followed by a dead end at a Tarzana, California home where the owner said he lived there about two years prior.[1][3] By September 2024, searches extended to a Cleveland, Ohio address on Halle Avenue, but occupants denied knowing Hall.[1][2][3] Further checks in early 2025 revisited a Woodland Hills, California apartment on Victory Boulevard—Hall’s last known address—but yielded no contact.[1]
In September 2025, Blackburn retained Los Angeles-based private investigator Carlos Jackson, who conducted database searches, surveilled Los Angeles County spots where Hall was reportedly known to walk his dogs, and pursued leads to Fulton County, Georgia, amid tips of Atlanta ties. Despite these measures—including at least 10 service attempts via process servers, skip tracing, and investigations—Hall was never located or served in any state.[1][2] Blackburn argued in March 2025 filings that personal service is “impossible,” stating, “We have effectively exhausted all reasonable methods of locating him,” and positioned publication as a last resort.[1][2][3]
Diddy has denied wrongdoing in related cases, and Hall has not appeared in the proceedings due to the service issues. The inability to serve Hall underscores ongoing challenges in high-profile lawsuits tied to Diddy’s legal battles, where multiple defendants face similar allegations from the 1990s. Gardner’s case continues against other parties, highlighting the broader impact on R&B and hip-hop figures from that era as courts adapt to evasion tactics amid public scrutiny.[1][2]
