Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: What are the newest allegations towards the rapper and the way has he responded? | EUROtoday

The newest headlines from our reporters throughout the US despatched straight to your inbox every weekday

Your briefing on the newest headlines from throughout the US

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, is now going through a number of civil lawsuits accusing him of intercourse trafficking, sexual abuse and rape.

Combs, previously often 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 “era.”

Federal brokers with US Homeland Security 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 towards 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.

On 17 May, surveillence footage captured at a resort 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 resort room.

The following day, he shared an apology video to Instagram saying his behaviour was “inexcusable” and that he took “full responsibility for his actions in the video”.

The slew of allegations in lawsuits towards Combs date way back to the Nineteen Nineties, when he based his personal document label, Bad Boy Records.

All 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 companion, who alleged years of abuse.

It was filed underneath the New York Adult Survivors Act, simply earlier than it expired. This act supplied 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 lifestyle” 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 mentioned 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 residence and raped her.

On May 17, surveillance footage obtained by CNN confirmed an incident which appeared to corroborate elements of Ms Ventura’s unique grievance. The video from March 2016 confirmed Combs chasing her down the hall of a Los Angeles resort and continuing to punch and kick her exterior a set of elevators.

According to the grievance, which cited the altercation as occurring “around March 2016,” Combs grew to become “extremely intoxicated and punched Ms Ventura in 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 is then seen hurling an object at her, which was additionally cited in her grievance.

On Sunday (19 May), Combs launched a video apologising for his actions within the video, calling his behaviour “inexcusable” and saying he “takes full responsibility for his actions in the video”.

The lawsuit towards Combs was settled for an undisclosed sum of money a day after Ms Ventura filed it.

Ms Ventura advised CNN she had chosen to “resolve this matter amicably,” whereas Combs’ lawyer mentioned the settlement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing” and didn’t change his denial of the allegations.

Her accusations towards Combs had been introduced by means of the New York Adult 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, that means incidents from many years had been lastly delivered to mild.

More than 2,500 circumstances had been filed underneath the ASA earlier than its expiry at midnight on 23 November 2023, courtroom information despatched to The Independent confirmed.

Survivors introduced lawsuits towards a number of the state’s strongest males, together with main gamers in leisure, similar to Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Axl Rose, and Combs.

Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones

In the newest lawsuit towards Combs, filed on 26 February 2024 in New York, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, alleged he was “subjected to unwanted advances by associates of Diddy at his direction” 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 mentioned he has video and audio proof of Combs, his employees and others “engaging in serious illegal activity.” The lawsuit recognized Rapper 50 Cent‘s former girlfriend and the mother of one of his children, Daphne Joy, as one of the alleged sex workers.

The lawsuit also alleges that Combs regularly hosted “sex-trafficking parties” with underage women and illegal drugs, and implies record label executives who looked the other way financially benefited from access to celebrities and dignitaries, including the British royal Prince Harry.

Prince Harry is not accused of any wrongdoing or of attending parties himself.

Combs’s lawyer advised The Los Angeles Times that the lawsuit incorporates “reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not” happen.

Ryan Mendelsohn, 20, who used to reside within the space the place Combs’ Los Angeles property was searched, advised reporters he would see events on the residence and girls exterior till 6am, which was not regular.

“I drive by a lot, and I see that — a lot of girls, maybe five or six girls outside, some leaving, some not, some going in,” he mentioned, in keeping with NBC News.

“I never thought anything of it,” Mr Mendelsohn, who added that he didn’t know Combs lived there till Monday’s information broke. “But now, it’s crazy.”

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 pupil 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, “resulting in her being in a physical state where she could not independently stand or walk,” the BBC reported.

The swimsuit additionally claims he recorded the assault and confirmed it to different folks.

She later filed police studies in New York and New Jersey, spoke to prosecutors, however was advised by colleagues they had been “terrified that Combs would retaliate against them and that they would lose future business and music opportunities if they made a statement in support of” her, NBC News reported, citing the lawsuit.

More ladies come ahead

Since November, three extra ladies have come ahead with lawsuits within the Southern District of New York alleging that they had been sexually assaulted by Combs, in keeping with NBC News.

Two of the ladies mentioned they had been youngsters on the time of the alleged assaults.

Anonymous Plaintiff

In November, an nameless plaintiff accused Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall of raping her and a pal in 1990 or 1991 after assembly at an MCA Records occasion in New York, the place the singers “were very flirtatious and handsy” and supplied them drinks, Rolling Stone reported.

The swimsuit alleges that Combs and Hall invited the ladies to Hall’s house for an afterparty the place the plaintiff “was offered more drinks and was coerced into having sex with Combs,” and was “shocked and traumatized” afterwards, earlier than “Hall barged into the room, pinned her down and forced Jane Doe to have sex with him,” in keeping with Rolling Stone.

After she spoke to her pal, the plaintiff allegedly discovered she had additionally “been forced to have sex with Combs and Hall in another room,” in keeping with the swimsuit.

A number of days later, Combs allegedly visited the plaintiff and her pal at a house the place they had been staying, the place he grew to become “irate and began assaulting and choking Jane Doe to the point that she passed 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 swimsuit accused Combs of a “sex trafficking scheme,” by which Jane Doe was flown by non-public jet from her residence in Michigan to New York.

In May, after the surprising CCTV footage of Combs attacking Venture was revealed, former mannequin Crystal McKinney filed a brand new lawsuit claiming the rapper sexually assaulted her at his recording studio in New York City in 2003.

McKinney mentioned she was a profitable 22-year-old mannequin when she met Combs at a restaurant throughout Men’s Fashion Week in Manhattan. Combs invited her to his recording studio later that night time, in keeping with the federal grievance filed in New York City.

The lawsuit alleged that McKinney arrived to seek out Combs consuming and smoking marijuana with a number of different males. She smoked some marijuana, which she “later came to understand” was laced with a narcotic or intoxicating substance, the lawsuit mentioned.

She alleged that Combs led her to the toilet the place she was compelled to carry out oral intercourse on him.

Days after McKinney’s lawsuit was filed, April Lampros – who met Diddy whereas she was a pupil – 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 pupil on the Fashion Institue of Technology in New York and interning at Arista, then the mum or dad firm of Diddy’s label Bad Boy Entertainment.

After assembly her at a bar in New York, she “succumbed to pressure” to drink alcohol after “delusional and violent outbursts”, in keeping with the federal grievance filed in New York City.

Lampros claimed she started to really feel just like the “walls were closing in on her” after sipping her drink and Combs escorted her again to a resort. The lawsuit alleged Combs compelled himself on Lampros regardless of her protests. “Ms Lampros was being raped by Mr Combs, and she soon passed out,” it mentioned.

The rapper allegedly then “love-bombed her” and his advances later “manifested into an aggressive, coercive and abusive relationship based on sex”.

The lawsuit claimed Combs assaulted Lampros a second time by bodily forcing her to carry out oral intercourse in a storage close to his house in Manhattan. When the scholar tried to distance herself from the rapper following the assault he allegedly gave her “gifts and empty promises” earlier than turning “angry, threatening and forceful” and claiming he would destroy her profession.

In 1996, Combs sexually assaulted Lampros for a 3rd time when he compelled 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. However, when she noticed him at an occasion on the Rockefeller Center within the early 2000s he begged to see her once more and she or he allowed him to come back to her house the place he kissed and touched her towards her will, the lawsuit alleged.

In 2023, Lampros alleges an unidentified man approached her companion 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 sex without her knowing and showed it to multiple people,” the submitting claimed.

Combs’s response to allegations

Sean Combs has strongly denied all of the accusations towards him and vowed to “fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

In a press release in December, following the lawsuit introduced by Jane Doe, he referred to as the claims “sickening” and mentioned his accusers had been “looking for a quick payday”.

“Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” he mentioned in a press release. “I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

Combs’ lawyer, Shawn Holley, branded the occasions described within the lawsuit as “pure fiction”.

“We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies,” he mentioned. “We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”

Following the settlement with Ventura, Ben Brafman, one other lawyer for Combs, advised The Independent: “Just so we’re clear, a decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.

“Mr. Combs’ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims.

“He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms Ventura the best.”

Shortly after the discharge of footage that reveals Combs attacking Ms Ventura in a resort hallway, Combs condemned his personal actions and apologised in a video posted to social media.

In the clip, Combs refers back to the incident as “one of the darkest times in his life”, saying that he was “f***ed up” and is “disgusted by his actions”.