Sean 'Diddy' Combs is facing a fresh wave of lawsuits accusing him of raping women, sexually assaulting men, and molesting a then 16-year-old boy. This marks the first time he has been sued by someone alleging they were abused as a minor. At least six lawsuits have been filed against Combs in federal court in Manhattan, joining a growing list of legal claims against the hip-hop mogul, all of which he has denied.
The lawsuits were filed anonymously to safeguard the identities of the accusers, with two women identified as Jane Does and four men as John Does. Some of the accusers, echoing others who have accused Combs in recent months, claim that he used his fame and the promise of potential stardom to lure victims to lavish parties or drug-fueled gatherings where he then allegedly assaulted them. Some allege that he beat or drugged them, while others say he threatened to kill them if they did not comply with his demands or if they spoke out against him.
The lawsuits detail alleged assaults dating back to the mid-1990s, including incidents at Combs' celebrity-studded white parties in Long Island's Hamptons, a party in Brooklyn celebrating Combs' then-collaborator Biggie Smalls, and even in the storeroom at Macy's flagship department store in midtown Manhattan. One of the John Does claims Combs molested him when he was 16 at a party in 1998. The man alleges the assault occurred during a conversation about how to become a music star, with Combs allegedly saying, 'Don't you want to break into the business?'
Other lawsuits include allegations of rape and drugging to incapacitate victims. One of the Jane Does alleged Combs raped her in a hotel room in 2004 and forced her friend to perform a sex act on him, also threatening to have them both killed if they did not comply with his demands. The plaintiffs in Monday's lawsuits are part of what their lawyers say is a group of more than 100 accusers who are in the process of taking legal action against Combs following his federal sex trafficking arrest on September 16.
In a statement, Combs' lawyers dismissed these tactics as 'clear attempts to garner publicity,' and stated that the rapper and his legal team 'have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.' Combs, 54, has pleaded not guilty in his criminal case, which involves allegations he coerced and abused women for years with help from a network of associates and employees while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson, and physical beatings. Twice denied bail, the Bad Boy Records founder remains incarcerated at a Brooklyn federal jail while awaiting trial in May.
