Lorna Hajdini, a JPMorgan executive director, filed a defamation countersuit against former Vice President Chirayu Rana on May 19 or 20, 2026, denying allegations of sexual assault, drugging, and racial harassment and accusing Rana of fabricating claims to extort millions and damage her reputation [1, 2, 3].
Rana initially filed the lawsuit against Hajdini and JPMorgan Chase on April 27, 2026, claiming assault and harassment over several months [1, 4, 3]. Rana has been on administrative leave since June 2025 amid the allegations and reportedly sought a settlement exceeding $20 million before rejecting JPMorgan’s $1 million offer [1, 3, 5].
JPMorgan Chase has publicly supported Hajdini, asserting it does not believe Rana’s claims have merit. A JPMorgan spokesperson told reporters, “We fully support Lorna and her right to defend herself and protect her reputation. As we’ve said from the outset, we don’t believe the allegations against her or the firm have merit.” [1, 3, 5]. The firm’s internal investigation found no evidence supporting the claims, noting Hajdini had no influence over Rana’s bonuses or promotions, while Rana refused to provide requested evidence [5].
Since the allegations became public, Hajdini has faced intense harassment including abusive emails, social media memes, and AI-generated images mocking her name [1, 2, 5]. In her 68-page countersuit filed in New York Supreme Court, Hajdini states Rana has a history of making similar fraudulent sexual misconduct allegations at prior jobs, though this has not been independently verified [3, 5].
Hajdini joined JPMorgan in 2011 and remains employed there [1, 2]. JPMorgan submitted a formal court response on May 21 or 22 denying all allegations and affirming their support of Hajdini [4]. The case is ongoing as both sides prepare for further legal proceedings.
