Joseph Sherman, known as “Big Joe,” a former bodyguard for Sean “Diddy” Combs, has categorically denied allegations of rape and claimed he has no relationship with the rapper, following a lawsuit filed Tuesday. This comes in the wake of Combs’ federal indictment on sex trafficking charges.
Sherman and Combs are accused of drugging and raping Thalia Graves when she was 25 years old at Bad Boy studios in New York in 2001. The lawsuit alleges the assault was recorded and later distributed as pornography.
In an exclusive interview, Sherman vehemently denied the accusations, stating, “I know for a fact that this is a money grab. I’ve never seen this lady. Don’t have any tape of her like she says I have. I’ve never seen her. I never did anything with her. I don’t know, none of this. I don’t even know this lady.”
Despite photographic evidence showing Sherman with Combs at various high-profile events in the past, he insisted, “I have not been around Diddy for 24 years.” Sherman added, “I’m being crucified and tortured for something I had nothing to do with me and me and Mr. Combs was not even friends. We had no relationship whatsoever.”
The former bodyguard, who now owns several pornographic magazines including Rhymes N Dimes, claimed Graves had been attempting to contact him via Instagram direct messages for five months before filing the lawsuit. He offered to take a lie detector test to prove his innocence, saying, “I can take a lie detector test any day of the week with any office of the law.”
Sherman expressed concern about public perception, stating, “The problem with this right now is, no matter what people like me say, Diddy is in such turmoil and everybody who was ever around him is being blamed for anything he did. Anyone who was around him is automatically guilty.”
The lawsuit alleges Sherman “forcefully slammed Graves onto a table, slapped her, and repeatedly thrust his penis into her mouth.” Sherman rebuffed these claims, describing the situation as a “shake down” and suggesting he’s being used as a pawn because of his race.
When asked about Combs’ alleged “freak off” sex parties mentioned in the rapper’s indictment, Sherman claimed he had never attended such events, stating, “When I worked with Mr. Combs, I went to one party in the Hamptons in 99 and it was classy. Everybody was nice. I’ve never in my life heard of a freak off party.”
Graves is the eleventh person to publicly accuse Combs of sexual assault. The rapper is currently in federal custody in Brooklyn, awaiting trial on allegations of presiding over an empire of sexual crimes protected by blackmail and acts of violence.
As the legal proceedings unfold, Sherman’s denials highlight the complex and contentious nature of the allegations against Combs and those in his inner circle. The case continues to draw attention to issues of power, celebrity, and accountability in the entertainment industry.
Daily MailOnline
