NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs faced a fresh series of lawsuits on Monday, alleging that he raped women, sexually assaulted men, and molested a 16-year-old boy. This marks the first instance in which he has faced a lawsuit from an individual claiming they were abused during their childhood.
At least six lawsuits have been filed against Combs in federal court in Manhattan, contributing to an increasing number of legal claims against the indicted hip-hop mogul, all of which he has denied.
The lawsuits were submitted anonymously to safeguard the identities of the accusers, with two filed by women referred to as Jane Does and four by men referred to as John Does.
Several individuals, reflecting the claims of others who have recently accused Combs, assert that he leveraged his fame and the allure of possible stardom to lure victims to extravagant parties or drug-infused gatherings where he subsequently assaulted them. Some claim that he assaulted or drugged them.
Some claim he issued threats of death if they failed to comply with his wishes or if they voiced any opposition to him.
The lawsuits detail purported assaults that date back to the mid-1990s, occurring at Combs’ glamorous white parties in the Hamptons, during a Brooklyn celebration for Combs’ collaborator Biggie Smalls, and even within the storeroom of Macy’s flagship department store in midtown Manhattan.
The plaintiffs in Monday’s lawsuits are described by their lawyers as part of a group exceeding 100 accusers who are currently pursuing legal action against Combs after his federal sex trafficking arrest on Sept. 16. Plaintiffs’ attorney Tony Buzbee revealed the intended legal action during a news conference on October 1 and shared a 1-800 number for those wishing to come forward.
In a statement, Combs’ lawyers criticized those tactics as “clear attempts to garner publicity,” asserting 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 emerge: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.
Combs, 54, has entered a plea of not guilty in his criminal case, which includes accusations of coercing and abusing women for years with the assistance of a network of associates and employees, while silencing victims through methods such as blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson, and physical beatings.
The founder of Bad Boy Records, having been denied bail twice, continues to be incarcerated at a federal jail in Brooklyn as he awaits his trial scheduled for May. Two judges have determined that Combs poses a risk to the community if released.
On Friday, an appeals court judge rejected Combs’ request for immediate release from jail as a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals considers his bail application.
Prior to the numerous lawsuits filed on Monday, all individuals accusing Combs had been adults when the alleged abuse occurred. However, a Chicago record producer asserted in a February lawsuit that he possessed “irrefutable evidence” of Combs sexually abusing minors.
A John Doe filed a lawsuit on Monday, claiming that Combs fondled his genitals when he was 16 during one of Combs’ white parties in 1998. The man, currently residing in North Carolina, claims that Combs remarked he had “the look” of a star before suddenly instructing the then-teen to remove his pants.
The man’s lawsuit states that Combs conveyed to him that it was a rite of passage to achieve music stardom, even asking him at one point: “Don’t you want to break into the business?” The man stated that he acted out of fear, anxiety, and a perceived power imbalance with Combs, only coming to understand later that what he describes as having occurred was sexual assault.
Additional lawsuits submitted on Monday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan encompass claims of rape, coerced oral sex, and drugging intended to incapacitate victims.
One of the Jane Does claims that Combs assaulted her in a locked hotel room in 2004 after inviting her and a friend for a party, providing them with drinks and encouraging them to snort cocaine. The woman, who was a college freshman at the time, claims that Combs also coerced her friend into performing oral sex on him and threatened their lives if they did not comply.
Another Jane Doe claimed that Combs violently assaulted and raped her in a bathroom during a party in Brooklyn in 1995 for Smalls’ music video, “One More Chance.” Smalls, recognized as the Notorious B.I.G., was tragically killed two years later in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles.
The woman stated that Combs took her into the bathroom for a private conversation and began kissing her without warning. As she attempted to pull away, she claims he forcefully slammed her head against the wall, resulting in her falling to the floor. She stated that she attempted to flee, but Combs struck her once more and assaulted her.
Subsequently, the woman recounted that Combs casually rearranged his attire and warned her, “You better not tell anyone about this, or you will disappear.”
The other John Doe lawsuits claim that Combs sexually assaulted a security guard at a 2006 white party after providing him with a drugged beverage; compelled a man employed by a competing fashion brand to perform oral sex on him in the Macy’s stockroom in 2008; and sexually assaulted a man at a party in October 2021.
The man, who believes he was incapacitated by a drugged drink, remembers being attacked by several individuals and clearly recalls seeing Combs above him, unclothed, at one moment during the incident, according to his lawsuit.