New Civil Lawsuits Filed Against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Seven new civil lawsuits have been filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs in a federal court in New York.
Four men and three women accuse the hip-hop mogul of sexually assaulting them at various parties in Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas.
The youngest plaintiff was 13 at the time of the alleged incident.
Mr. Combs remains in custody at a Brooklyn jail. He is separately facing federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which he denies. The BBC has approached his legal team for comment on the new cases.
His lawyers recently dismissed the flurry of lawsuits as “clear attempts to garner publicity,” stressing that “Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone – adult or minor, man or woman.”
All seven of the new civil cases allege that Mr. Combs – or by proxy through his associates – drugged alcoholic beverages at the events, leaving the plaintiffs feeling dizzy and nauseous.
In several of the suits, plaintiffs allege that Mr. Combs raped them, forced oral sex on them, or aggressively groped them.
Mr. Combs is currently awaiting trial in May of next year for the federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The hip-hop icon has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has been denied bail multiple times.
The indictment, along with several lawsuits, implicates his various business enterprises, alleging they played a role in facilitating and funding his abusive actions both inside and outside the music industry.
The lawsuits further accuse Mr. Combs of leveraging his power and influence in entertainment to manipulate, intimidate, and silence those around him.
One new case alleges Mr. Combs and another male celebrity raped a 13-year-old girl at an after-party for the 2000 VMAs. The second male celebrity is not named in the lawsuit.
Another alleges Mr. Combs drugged an independent musical artist at a party and raped her. She claims to have woken up in pain with imprints on her arms indicating she had been restrained while unconscious.
In a third case, Mr. Combs allegedly exposed himself to a man and grabbed the man’s genitals in a “rough” and “sexual” manner.
A fourth case involves a celebrity personal trainer, claiming Mr. Combs assaulted him at a party at his Hollywood Hills home in 2022. The trainer reported seeing high-profile celebrities engaging in group sexual activities at the party, where he was later brought into a small room with Mr. Combs, who performed “non-consensual oral sex” on him.
The fifth filing concerns a woman who alleges she was drugged at a party at Mr. Combs’ hotel room, waking up naked in bed with the musician talking on the phone nearby.
The sixth case involves a man running a security firm, who claims he was invited into a private room at a party, given a drink that made him dizzy, and then assaulted by Mr. Combs.
The seventh case, as reported by US media, relates to a 17-year-old aspiring musician who alleges he was assaulted at a party by Mr. Combs.
Mr. Combs has faced nearly a year of allegations ranging from rape and sexual assault to grooming and domestic violence.
He is currently in jail while awaiting trial in New York, with prosecutors alleging that he engaged in kidnapping, forced labor, bribery, and other crimes.
Described by prosecutors as the head of a criminal enterprise, he is accused of abusing women using threats of violence to force them into participating in drug-fueled orgies with male prostitutes. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges, which also result in multiple bail denials. The trial is scheduled for May 2025.
Expert Opinions
To gain deeper insights into the implications of these lawsuits, we spoke to several experts in law and social issues:
- Dr. Emily Hartman, a clinical psychologist specializing in trauma, discussed the psychological impact of these allegations on victims.
- Attorney Marcus Reed, who has defended high-profile cases, shared his takes on the legal nuances surrounding celebrity legal issues.
- Dr. Lisa Chang, a sociologist, examined the cultural factors that allow such abusive behaviors to persist in the entertainment industry.
During our discussion, we explored questions such as: What changes need to happen in the entertainment industry to better protect individuals? How do these allegations impact the broader cultural narrative regarding consent and accountability?