Sean “Diddy” Combs, a rapper and music mogul credited with serving to launch the careers of a number of the largest stars in recent times, may very well be going through greater than 100 new lawsuits simply two weeks after he was arrested by federal brokers in New York.
The most recent wave of authorized filings was introduced on October 1, The Los Angeles Times reported, as greater than 100 folks have deliberate to file lawsuits towards Combs, alleging that he sexually abused and exploited them.
It got here simply weeks after Combs was arrested in September on intercourse trafficking and racketeering expenses with federal prosecutors alleging that Combs and his associates threatened, abused and coerced ladies and others round him “to satisfy his sexual needs” – which allegedly contains forcing victims into partaking in recorded sexual exercise which he known as “Freak Offs.”
A lawyer for the hip-hop artist referred to as Combs “an harmless man with nothing to cover.”
“We’re disillusioned with the choice to pursue what we consider is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace,” his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, instructed The Unbiased through e-mail within the wake of his arrest.
A brand new federal decide was later assigned to Combs’ case, in response to courtroom paperwork obtained by Business Insider. US District Choose Arun Subramanian is identical decide at the moment overseeing the Division of Justice antitrust case towards Ticketmaster. A purpose for the brand new decide was not offered.
Since his arrest, Combs has twice been denied bail on the costs regardless of providing his Miami mansion as collateral for a $50 million bond. The judges cited what federal prosecutors described as a severe threat that Combs may intimidate witnesses.
Combs is already interesting these bail denials. With the brand new decide seated, his legal professionals will likely be argue for bail a 3rd time.
Nevertheless, on November 15, in a submission arguing for a 3rd denial of bail for the mogul, prosecutors alleged that Combs had spent his time behind bars trying to blackmail victims and witnesses, utilizing fellow inmates’ telephones to name members of the family and engineer “narratives” to assist him within the case.
Combs, previously generally known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and a number of different names, has undergone a myriad of reinventions because the begin of his profession – however has since entered a brand new and unwelcome “period”.
Federal brokers with US Homeland Safety raided two of the rapper’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami on March 25 as a part of an investigation into the allegations introduced towards him.
The music mogul was additionally lately hit with a $100 million default judgment on September 9 over an alleged sexual assault from a 1997 get together towards Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith.
Lenawee County Circuit Courtroom Choose granted the award to Cardello-Smith, an inmate who filed the lawsuit towards Combs, accusing him of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a celebration 30 years in the past.
Combs, 54, has strongly denied all the allegations towards him. His attorneys have branded the lawsuits and their accusations as cash grabs, “baseless” or “sickening.”
On Might 17, surveillence footage captured at a lodge in Los Angeles in March 2016 confirmed Diddy chasing his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura down the hallway earlier than attacking her by the elevators. He then makes an attempt to tug her again to his lodge room.
The next day, he shared an apology video to Instagram saying his behaviour was “inexcusable” and that he took “full duty for his actions within the video”.
The slew of allegations in lawsuits towards Combs date way back to the Nineteen Nineties, when he based his personal document label, Unhealthy Boy Data.
All of the allegations towards Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs:
Lawsuits towards the rapper started on 16 November 2023 when he was sued by singer and dancer Cassie, his former associate, who alleged years of abuse.
It was filed below the New York Grownup Survivors Act, simply earlier than it expired. This act provided a one-year window for grownup victims of sexual assault to come back ahead with civil claims whatever the statute of limitations.
Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura
R&B singer Cassie, whose full title is Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit in 2023 alleging that she was trafficked, raped and crushed by Combs on many events over 10 years.
Her lawsuit claimed that Combs introduced the singer into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled way of life” not lengthy after she met him, and signed her to his label in 2005 when she was simply 19 and he was 37.
Ventura mentioned that the sample of abuse started as quickly as their relationship began and that, as she was attempting to finish it in 2018, he pressured himself into her Los Angeles residence and raped her.
On Might 17, surveillance footage obtained by CNN confirmed an incident which appeared to corroborate elements of Ventura’s authentic criticism. The video from March 2016 confirmed Combs chasing her down the hall of a Los Angeles lodge and continuing to punch and kick her exterior a set of elevators.
Based on the criticism, which cited the altercation as occurring “round March 2016,” Combs turned “extraordinarily intoxicated and punched Ventura within the face, giving her a black eye.”
The surveillance footage confirmed Combs leaving Ventura then returning and shoving her right into a nook. He’s then seen hurling an object at her, which was additionally cited in her criticism.
On Might 19, Combs launched a video apologising for his actions within the video, calling his behaviour “inexcusable” and saying he “takes full duty for his actions within the video”.
The lawsuit towards Combs was settled for an undisclosed amount of cash a day after Ventura filed it.
Ventura instructed CNN she had chosen to “resolve this matter amicably,” whereas Combs’ lawyer mentioned the settlement was “under no circumstances an admission of wrongdoing” and didn’t change his denial of the allegations.
Her accusations towards Combs had been introduced by way of the New York Grownup Survivors Act (ASA), which expired at midnight on November 23, 2023.
The act offered survivors a one-year window to pursue civil litigation no matter when the abuse occurred, which means incidents from many years had been lastly dropped at mild.
Greater than 2,500 instances had been filed below the ASA earlier than its expiry at midnight on November 23, 2023, courtroom knowledge despatched to The Unbiased confirmed.
Survivors introduced lawsuits towards a number of the state’s strongest males, together with main gamers in leisure, similar to Invoice Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Axl Rose, and Combs.
Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith
A lawsuit was filed by Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, 51, an inmate who claims Combs drugged and sexually assaulted him at a celebration 30 years in the past, ccording to courtroom paperwork obtained by Detroit’s Metro Times.
On September 9, Cardello-Smith was awarded a $100 million default judgment after Combs failed to seem for a digital listening to.
A Lenawee County Circuit Courtroom decide arrange a fee schedule of $10 million per 30 days for Combs, slated to start out on October 1.
The lawsuit claims that Cardello-Smith and Combs met whereas he was working at a Detroit-area restaurant in 1997. Throughout an evening of ingesting and weed-smoking, they reportedly had intercourse with a bunch of girls, in response to the go well with. Cardello-Smith mentioned he felt a person’s hand, which he claims was Combs, touching him.
The go well with additionally alleges that Combs served him a spiked drink that brought about him to go out. When he awakened, Combs was having intercourse with a lady and allegedly mentioned to him, “I did this to you too.”
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, disputed the judgment and Cardello-Smith’s account.
“This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping during the last 26 years,” he mentioned.
Combs has moved to dimiss the go well with.
Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones
In the latest lawsuit towards Combs, filed on 26 February 2024 in New York, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, alleged he was “subjected to undesirable advances by associates of Diddy at his route” and that he was pressured to have interaction in relations with the intercourse employees Combs had employed.
The producer, who labored for Combs between September 2022 and November 2023 claimed Combs sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him for greater than a 12 months.
He mentioned he has video and audio proof of Combs, his employees and others “partaking in severe criminality.” The lawsuit recognized Rapper 50 Cent‘s former girlfriend and the mom of one in all his kids, Daphne Pleasure, as one of many alleged intercourse employees.
The lawsuit additionally alleges that Combs usually hosted “sex-trafficking events” with underage ladies and unlawful medication, and implies document label executives who regarded the opposite manner financially benefited from entry to celebrities and dignitaries, together with the British royal Prince Harry.
Prince Harry will not be accused of any wrongdoing or of attending events himself.
Combs’s lawyer instructed The Los Angeles Instances that the lawsuit incorporates “reckless name-dropping about occasions which are pure fiction and easily didn’t” happen.
Ryan Mendelsohn, 20, who used to dwell within the space the place Combs’ Los Angeles property was searched, instructed reporters he would see events on the residence and girls exterior till 6am, which was not typical.
“I drive by rather a lot, and I see that — plenty of ladies, possibly 5 – 6 ladies exterior, some leaving, some not, some entering into,” he mentioned, in response to NBC News.
“I by no means thought something of it,” Mr Mendelsohn, who added that he didn’t know Combs lived there till Monday’s information broke. “However now, it’s loopy.”
Joie Dickerson-Neal
In November 2023, Joie Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit alleging that Combs drugged her, sexually assaulted her and secretly recorded the assault whereas she was a university scholar in 1991, NBC News reported, citing the submitting.
She claimed that Combs pushed her to go to dinner with him and she or he agreed “reluctantly” on 3 January 1991, which is when she alleges she was drugged, “leading to her being in a bodily state the place she couldn’t independently stand or stroll,” the BBC reported.
The go well with additionally claims he recorded the assault and confirmed it to different folks.
She later filed police experiences in New York and New Jersey, spoke to prosecutors, however was instructed by colleagues they had been “terrified that Combs would retaliate towards them and that they’d lose future enterprise and music alternatives in the event that they made an announcement in assist of” her, NBC Information reported, citing the lawsuit.
Extra ladies come ahead
Since November, a number of extra ladies have come ahead with lawsuits within the Southern District of New York alleging that they had been sexually assaulted by Combs.
Two of the ladies mentioned they had been youngsters on the time of the alleged assaults.
Nameless Plaintiff
In November, an nameless plaintiff accused Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Corridor of raping her and a buddy in 1990 or 1991 after assembly at an MCA Data occasion in New York, the place the singers “had been very flirtatious and handsy” and provided them drinks, Rolling Stone reported.
The go well with alleges that Combs and Corridor invited the ladies to Corridor’s residence for an afterparty the place the plaintiff “was provided extra drinks and was coerced into having intercourse with Combs,” and was “shocked and traumatized” afterwards, earlier than “Corridor barged into the room, pinned her down and compelled Jane Doe to have intercourse with him,” in response to Rolling Stone.
After she spoke to her buddy, the plaintiff allegedly came upon she had additionally “been pressured to have intercourse with Combs and Corridor in one other room,” in response to the go well with.
A couple of days later, Combs allegedly visited the plaintiff and her buddy at a house the place they had been staying, the place he turned “irate and commenced assaulting and choking Jane Doe to the purpose that she handed out,” the lawsuit alleges.
Unnamed Accuser ‘Jane Doe’
In December, Combs was hit with one other lawsuit which claimed he had drugged and gang-raped a 17-year-old woman in 2003.
The plaintiff, recognized as Jane Doe, accused Combs of plying her with medication and alcohol at his New York studio after which raping her together with two associates.
The go well with accused Combs of a “intercourse trafficking scheme,” by which Jane Doe was flown by personal jet from her residence in Michigan to New York.
In Might, after the stunning CCTV footage of Combs attacking Enterprise was printed, former mannequin Crystal McKinney filed a brand new lawsuit claiming the rapper sexually assaulted her at his recording studio in New York Metropolis in 2003.
McKinney mentioned she was a profitable 22-year-old mannequin when she met Combs at a restaurant throughout Males’s Style Week in Manhattan. Combs invited her to his recording studio later that evening, in response to the federal criticism filed in New York Metropolis.
The lawsuit alleged that McKinney arrived to seek out Combs ingesting and smoking marijuana with a number of different males. She smoked some marijuana, which she “later got here to know” was laced with a narcotic or intoxicating substance, the lawsuit mentioned.
She alleged that Combs led her to the toilet the place she was pressured to carry out oral intercourse on him.
Days after McKinney’s lawsuit was filed, April Lampros – who met Diddy whereas she was a scholar – claimed Diddy had sexually assaulted a number of instances between 1995 and the early 2000s.
Lampros mentioned she met the rapper in 1994 whereas she was a university scholar on the Style Institue of Know-how in New York and interning at Arista, then the mother or father firm of Diddy’s label Unhealthy Boy Leisure.
After assembly her at a bar in New York, she “succumbed to strain” to drink alcohol after “delusional and violent outbursts”, in response to the federal criticism filed in New York Metropolis.
Lampros claimed she started to really feel just like the “partitions had been closing in on her” after sipping her drink and Combs escorted her again to a lodge. The lawsuit alleged Combs pressured himself on Lampros regardless of her protests. “Ms Lampros was being raped by Mr Combs, and she or he quickly handed out,” it mentioned.
The rapper allegedly then “love-bombed her” and his advances later “manifested into an aggressive, coercive and abusive relationship based mostly on intercourse”.
The lawsuit claimed Combs assaulted Lampros a second time by bodily forcing her to carry out oral intercourse in a storage close to his residence in Manhattan. When the coed tried to distance herself from the rapper following the assault he allegedly gave her “presents and empty guarantees” earlier than turning “indignant, threatening and forceful” and claiming he would destroy her profession.
In 1996, Combs sexually assaulted Lampros for a 3rd time when he pressured her and his ex-girlfriend Kim Porter to take ecstasy and have intercourse collectively, the lawsuit alleged. Combs masturbated whereas he watched the ladies collectively earlier than assaulting Lampros, the submitting claimed.
Lampros says she ended her relationship with Combs two years later. Nevertheless, when she noticed him at an occasion on the Rockefeller Heart within the early 2000s he begged to see her once more and she or he allowed him to come back to her residence the place he kissed and touched her towards her will, the lawsuit alleged.
In 2023, Lampros alleges an unidentified man approached her associate on the time and mentioned he had seen a sexual video of Lampros and Combs years earlier. Lampros was knowledgeable “Mr Combs apparently recorded them having intercourse with out her understanding and confirmed it to a number of folks,” the submitting claimed.
In September of this 12 months, Daybreak Richard, a former bandmate, accused the music mogul of finishing up years of bodily and sexual abuse towards her and others whereas the 2 labored collectively, in response to a lawsuit filed in New York federal courtroom, describing allegations courting again to 2009.
She accuses Combs of withholding fee for work on albums, groping her, making lewd coments, trying to strike her, throwing home goods at her, internet hosting events the place inebriated younger ladies had been sexually violated, withholding meals and different fundamental requirements throughout recording, and making dying threats when Richard tried to intervene in alleged abuse towards Combs’s longtime girlfriend, the singer Cassie.
“For practically a decade, Mr. Combs manipulated Ms. Richard with mantras that submission to his wicked calls for was crucial for profession development, instilling in her the idea that such abuse and exploitation had been required for feminine artists to achieve the music trade,” the criticism reads.
An lawyer for Combs instructedThe Unbiased the go well with was “false” and an try and “rewrite historical past.”
On September 27, Combs was hit with a tenth lawsuit by an nameless girl who claims Combs abused her, bodily and sexually, for 4 straight years. In her go well with, “Jane Doe” says she greater than as soon as awakened in Combs’s mattress, badly injured, after blacking out the evening earlier than — with no reminiscence of what had occurred.
Doe says within the go well with that she met Combs within the fall of 2020 “at an abroad location.” He paid for her to journey there, and the 2 started seeing one another “usually” after that, in response to the go well with.
They met up roughly as soon as a month, and Combs would usually drug her towards her will, then sexually abuse her, Doe claims, within the lawsuit.
“On one morning she awakened and her toes had been purple and bruised and she or he had a chew mark on her heel,” it says. “Jane Doe didn’t understand how she sustained the accidents.”
Doe later realized she had been unwittingly dosed with ketamine, in response to the lawsuit.
On October 14 after which once more on October 20, lawyer Tony Buzbee filed a complete of 13 lawsuits towards Combs. The lawsuits characterize women and men who declare Combs sexually assaulted them, with instances spanning from 2000 to 2022. Buzbee mentioned in an announcement that he would proceed to file lawsuits “weekly” as he gathers extra proof from alleged victims.
The plaintifss in these instances haven’t been named, however no less than one alleged sufferer mentioned she was 13-years-old when Combs allegedly raped her at an MTV VMA after-party.
One other plaintiff accused Combs of allegedly drugging him utilizing Rohypnol that had been combined into child oil.
Two new lawsuits filed on 28 October accused the rapper of drugging and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in 2005 and a 17-year-old actuality present aspirant in 2008.
Combs’s response to allegations
Sean Combs has strongly denied all of the accusations towards him and vowed to “struggle for my title, my household and for the reality.”
In an announcement in December, following the lawsuit introduced by Jane Doe, he referred to as the claims “sickening” and mentioned his accusers had been “searching for a fast payday”.
“Let me be completely clear: I didn’t do any of the terrible issues being alleged,” he mentioned in an announcement. “I’ll struggle for my title, my household and for the reality.”
Combs’ lawyer, Shawn Holley, branded the occasions described within the lawsuit as “pure fiction”.
“We’ve overwhelming, indeniable proof that his claims are full lies,” he mentioned. “We are going to handle these outlandish allegations in courtroom and take all acceptable motion towards those that make them.”
Following the settlement with Ventura, Ben Brafman, one other lawyer for Combs, instructed The Unbiased: “Simply so we’re clear, a choice to settle a lawsuit, particularly in 2023, is under no circumstances an admission of wrongdoing.
“Mr. Combs’ resolution to settle the lawsuit doesn’t in any manner undermine his flat-out denial of the claims.
“He’s joyful they obtained to a mutual settlement and desires Ms Ventura the very best.”
Shortly after the discharge of footage that exhibits Combs attacking Ms Ventura in a lodge hallway, Combs condemned his personal actions and apologised in a video posted to social media.
Within the clip, Combs refers back to the incident as “one of many darkest instances in his life”, saying that he was “f***ed up” and is “disgusted by his actions”.
Felony Costs Towards Diddy
For practically a 12 months, Combs has confronted a sequence of civil lawsuits that accuse him of sexual abuse, rape and misconduct. Now, federal prosecutors have introduced prison expenses towards him.
Combs has been charged with intercourse trafficking and transportation to have interaction in prostitution after a federal grand jury in New York selected to carry an indictment towards him.
He’s accused of operating a prison enterprise that consisted of his associates, staff and the affect of his enterprise empire to coerce, management and abuse feminine victims. That features “intercourse trafficking, pressured labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice” in response to the indictment.
In an indictment unsealed on Tuesday morning, federal prosecutors allege Combs and his associates threatened, abused and coerced ladies and others round him “to satisfy his sexual needs”.
That allegedly contains forcing victims into partaking in recorded sexual exercise which he known as “Freak Offs.”
”Throughout Freak Offs, Combs distributed quite a lot of managed substances to victims, partly to maintain the victims obedient and compliant,” prosecutors mentioned within the doc. “After Freak Offs, Combs and the victims usually acquired IV fluids to get well from the bodily exertion and drug use.”
Comic Jeff Wittek claimed on an episode of his present Jeff FM that when he was 20 years previous, he went to one in all Combs’ alleged “Freak Off” events the place he noticed folks having intercourse at a mansion in Miami, E! News reported.
“It was like eight tales excessive and it simply stored going up,” Wittek mentioned. “And the upper you went, the weirder s–t was happening.”
In 2010, he mentioned he went to a “lingerie intercourse get together” after getting an invitation by way of an acquaintance, who had filmed a music video with Combs.
“She’s like, ‘Oh, he is having a Diddy get together,’” he mentioned. “These Diddy events are f—ing loopy. They’re the very best events, like, folks needed to go to them.”
Whereas Wittek wore a polo shirt, anticipating a standard get together, one other buddy wore lingerie the place “their nipples are displaying by way of.”
“And I am like, ‘You guys are going like that?’” Wittek recalled. “They’re like, ‘You do not perceive about these events.’ And I didn’t perceive ‘trigger I noticed dwell intercourse occur that evening.”
“That is the primary time I noticed that occur ever in my life. And did I partake? No, however I obtained f—ing drunk there,” he added. “It is simply loopy. I used to be actually there. I lived by way of it.”
Combs was arrested at a Manhattan lodge on September 16 about six months after federal brokers raided two of the musician’s properties in Los Angeles and Miami as a part of the investigation.
The federal investigation coincides with a sequence of civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct and sexual abuse during the last 12 months.
Marc Agnifilio, a lawyer for Combs, referred to as his consumer “an harmless man with nothing to cover.”
He mentioned the musician has been cooperating with federal authorities and voluntarily relocated to New York final week in anticipation of the arrest. “We’re disillusioned with the choice to pursue what we consider is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace,” Agnifilo mentioned in an announcement.
“Please reserve your judgment till you may have all of the details,” Agnifilo instructed reporters exterior the courthouse on September 17. “He appears to be like ahead to clearing his title in courtroom.”
Blackmail Accusations Behind Bars
Nevertheless, regardless of being incarcerated Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn since his arrest, Combs allegedly continued to misbehave.
In mid-November the mogul was accused by prosecutors of utilizing jailmates’ telephones from inside jail to blackmail potential witnesses, and calling up members of the family, urging them to succeed in out to potential victims and create “narratives.”
“The defendant has proven repeatedly — even whereas in custody — that he’ll flagrantly and repeatedly flout guidelines with a view to improperly influence the result of his case. The defendant has proven, in different phrases, that he can’t be trusted to abide by guidelines or situations,” prosecutors wrote in a submission that contained redactions.
Combs’ conduct was described as “relentless efforts” to “corruptly affect witness testimony,” the courtroom paperwork claimed. The allegations as a part of a movement filed urging the decide to reject Combs’ newest $50 million bail proposal.
Prosecutors mentioned the mogul started breaking guidelines virtually as quickly as he was detained.
