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Sean “Diddy” Combs, a rapper and music mogul credited with serving to launch the careers of a number of the greatest stars in recent times, is now facing multiple civil lawsuits accusing him of intercourse trafficking, sexual abuse and rape.
Combs, previously generally known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and a bunch 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 25 March as he faces a string of various accusations.
Combs, 54, has strongly denied all the allegations in opposition to him. His attorneys have branded the lawsuits and their accusations as cash grabs, “baseless” or “sickening.”
The entertainer has not been formally charged or accused by federal prosecutors of any crime.
The brand new lawsuits come months after Combs’s former companion, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura filed a lawsuit in opposition to him in November. She accused him of raping her in 2018, beating her, demanding she carry a firearm to “make her uncomfortable and display how harmful he’s” and forcing her into “undesirable sexual encounters with male intercourse staff.”
Ms Ventura’s lawsuit in opposition to Combs was settled a day after she filed it for an undisclosed amount of cash.
The slew of allegations in lawsuits in opposition to Combs date way back to the Nineties, when he based his personal document label, Unhealthy Boy Information.
All of the allegations in opposition to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs:
Lawsuits in opposition to the rapper started on 16 November 2023 when he was sued by singer and dancer Cassie, his former companion, who alleged years of abuse.
It was filed under the New York Adult 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 overwhelmed by Combs on many events over 10 years.
Her lawsuit claimed that Combs introduced the singer into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled life-style” not lengthy after she met him, and signed her to his label in 2005 when she was simply 19 and he was 37.
Ms Ventura stated that the sample of abuse started as quickly as their relationship began and that, as she was making an attempt to finish it in 2018, he compelled himself into her Los Angeles house and raped her.
On Might 17, surveillance footage obtained by CNN showed an incident which appeared to corroborate elements of Ms Ventura’s unique 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 grew to become “extraordinarily intoxicated and punched Ms Ventura within the face, giving her a black eye.”
The surveillance footage confirmed Combs leaving Ms 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 Sunday (19 Might), Combs released a video apologising for his actions in the video, calling his behaviour “inexcusable” and saying he “takes full duty for his actions within the video”.
The lawsuit in opposition to Combs was settled for an undisclosed amount of cash a day after Ms Ventura filed it.
Ms Ventura instructed CNN she had chosen to “resolve this matter amicably,” whereas Combs’ lawyer stated the settlement was “by no means an admission of wrongdoing” and didn’t change his denial of the allegations.
Her accusations in opposition to Combs have been introduced by way of the New York Grownup Survivors Act (ASA), which expired at midnight on 23 November 2023.
The act supplied survivors a one-year window to pursue civil litigation no matter when the abuse occurred, which means incidents from many years have been lastly dropped at mild.
Greater than 2,500 instances have been filed below the ASA earlier than its expiry at midnight on 23 November 2023, court docket information despatched to The Impartial confirmed.
Survivors introduced lawsuits in opposition to a number of the state’s strongest males, together with main gamers in leisure, comparable to Invoice Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Axl Rose, and Combs.
Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones
In the newest lawsuit in opposition to 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 path” and that he was compelled to interact in relations with the intercourse staff 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 yr.
He stated he has video and audio proof of Combs, his employees and others “partaking in critical criminality.” The lawsuit recognized Rapper 50 Cent‘s former girlfriend and the mom of one in all his kids, Daphne Pleasure, as one of the alleged sex workers.
The lawsuit additionally alleges that Combs frequently hosted “sex-trafficking events” with underage girls and unlawful medicine, and implies document label executives who seemed the opposite approach financially benefited from entry to celebrities and dignitaries, together with the British royal Prince Harry.
Prince Harry isn’t accused of any wrongdoing or of attending events himself.
Combs’s lawyer instructed The Los Angeles Instances that the lawsuit comprises “reckless name-dropping about occasions which can be pure fiction and easily didn’t” happen.
Ryan Mendelsohn, 20, who used to reside within the space the place Combs’ Los Angeles property was searched, instructed reporters he would see events on the house and girls exterior till 6am, which was not typical.
“I drive by loads, and I see that — a variety of women, possibly 5 – 6 women exterior, some leaving, some not, some entering into,” he stated, in keeping with 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 school 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 individuals.
She later filed police experiences in New York and New Jersey, spoke to prosecutors, however was instructed by colleagues they have been “terrified that Combs would retaliate in opposition to them and that they might lose future enterprise and music alternatives in the event that they made a press release in assist of” her, NBC Information reported, citing the lawsuit.
Extra girls come ahead
Since November, three extra girls have come ahead with lawsuits within the Southern District of New York alleging that they have been sexually assaulted by Combs, in keeping with NBC Information.
Two of the ladies stated they have 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 Information occasion in New York, the place the singers “have 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 condo 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 keeping with Rolling Stone.
After she spoke to her buddy, the plaintiff allegedly discovered she had additionally “been compelled to have intercourse with Combs and Corridor in one other room,” in keeping with the go well with.
A couple of days later, Combs allegedly visited the plaintiff and her buddy at a house the place they have been staying, the place he grew to become “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 medicine 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,” wherein Jane Doe was flown by non-public jet from her house in Michigan to New York.
Combs’s response to allegations
Sean Combs has strongly denied all of the accusations in opposition to him and vowed to “battle for my title, my household and for the reality.”
In a press release in December, following the lawsuit introduced by Jane Doe, he referred to as the claims “sickening” and stated his accusers have been “searching for a fast payday”.
“Let me be completely clear: I didn’t do any of the terrible issues being alleged,” he stated in a press release. “I’ll battle for my title, my household and for the reality.”
Combs’ lawyer, Shawn Holley, branded the occasions described within the lawsuit as “pure fiction”.
“We now have overwhelming, indeniable proof that his claims are full lies,” he stated. “We are going to deal with these outlandish allegations in court docket and take all acceptable motion in opposition to those that make them.”
Following the settlement with Ventura, Ben Brafman, one other lawyer for Combs, instructed The Impartial: “Simply so we’re clear, a call to settle a lawsuit, particularly in 2023, is by no means an admission of wrongdoing.
“Mr. Combs’ choice to settle the lawsuit doesn’t in any approach undermine his flat-out denial of the claims.
“He’s comfortable they acquired to a mutual settlement and desires Ms Ventura the most effective.”
Shortly after the discharge of footage that exhibits Combs attacking Ms Ventura in a lodge hallway, Combs condemned his own 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”.
