By Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs faced a new barrage of legal challenges on Monday as six lawsuits were filed in federal court in Manhattan, accusing him of sexual assault, including the first allegation involving a minor.
The lawsuits, filed anonymously by two women as Jane Does and four men as John Does, add to the mounting legal troubles for the 54-year-old music industry titan. Combs, who has denied all allegations, is currently in custody awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
One of the most serious allegations comes from a John Doe who claims Combs sexually abused him in 1998 when he was 16 years old. The plaintiff, now residing in North Carolina, alleges that Combs fondled his genitals at one of the rapper’s infamous “white parties” in the Hamptons. According to the lawsuit, Combs told the then-teenager he had “the look” of a star and pressured him to drop his pants, framing it as a “rite of passage” into the music industry.
“Don’t you want to break into the business?” Combs allegedly asked the minor, according to the lawsuit.
Other lawsuits detail disturbing allegations of rape, forced oral sex, and drugging to incapacitate victims. The incidents reportedly span from the mid-1990s to 2021, occurring at various locations including celebrity parties, hotels, and even the storeroom of Macy’s flagship store in Manhattan.
A Jane Doe alleges Combs raped her in a locked hotel room in 2004 after inviting her and a friend to a party, providing them with drinks and cocaine. The woman, a college freshman at the time, claims Combs also forced her friend to perform oral sex on him and threatened their lives if they didn’t comply.
Another Jane Doe accuses Combs of violently raping her in a bathroom at a 1995 party in Brooklyn for the late rapper Notorious B.I.G.’s music video “One More Chance.” She alleges Combs slammed her head against a wall and raped her, later threatening, “You better not tell anyone about this, or you will disappear.”
The lawsuits are part of a larger group of over 100 accusers preparing legal action against Combs, according to plaintiffs’ lawyer Tony Buzbee. This follows Combs’ arrest on September 16 on federal sex trafficking charges.
Combs’ legal team vehemently denies all allegations. In a statement, his lawyers said, “We 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.”
The hip-hop mogul remains in custody at a Brooklyn federal jail, having been denied bail twice. Judges have deemed him a danger to the community if released. His trial is scheduled for May.
These new lawsuits shed light on the dark underbelly of the music industry and raise serious questions about power, abuse, and accountability in celebrity circles. As the legal proceedings unfold, the case continues to captivate public attention and spark discussions about sexual misconduct in the entertainment world.
