Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing new allegations of rape, sexual abuse and sexual assault after a series of fresh lawsuits were filed on Monday.
At least six lawsuits were filed in New York federal court by two women and four men. They include allegations that span from 1995 to 2021.
The unnamed accusers allege some of the assaults happened at Mr Combs’ parties, which were attended by major celebrities and music artists.
Lawyers for Mr Combs denied the allegations, saying in a statement to the BBC that he “has never sexually assaulted anyone – adult or minor, man or woman”.
One of the accusers said he was 16 when he attended one of the parties in the Hamptons in 1998. In the lawsuit, he describes being thrilled to get an invitation to Mr Combs’ party, which became a premier A-list annual event for celebrities.
The accuser said he saw countless celebrities and music artists as he walked around, and ran into Mr Combs while he was on the way to the bathroom. He said he started talking to Mr Combs about breaking into the music industry when they went to somewhere more private.
The accuser alleges that during their conversation, Mr Combs abruptly ordered him to undress.
The lawsuit includes a photo of the pair together at the party with the teen’s face blurred out.
According to the lawsuit, Mr Combs said it was “a rite of passage” and “the route to becoming a star”. The rapper told the teen he could make anyone a star and the teen had the right “look”, the lawsuit states.
Another lawsuit filed on Monday includes allegations by a woman who claims Mr Combs raped her in a hotel room in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old college student.
According to the lawsuit, she met the music mogul at a photoshoot, where he then invited her and a friend to attend a private party at his hotel. Once they arrived, the lawsuit alleges that Mr Combs “fondled, molested, and ultimately raped her” despite her repeatedly asking him to stop.
Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee, who is representing the accusers, said he is representing more than 100 people who plan to sue the rapper on allegations of sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation.
Mr Buzbee said that some of the alleged victims include children. He said the lawsuits are being brought under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which allows victims to file older claims.
“We will let the allegations in the filed complaints speak for themselves, and will work to see that justice is done,” Mr Buzbee said in a statement after filing the lawsuits Monday.
“We expect to be filing many more cases over the next several weeks naming Mr Combs and others as defendants as we continue to gather evidence and prepare the filings.”
The lawsuits are the latest of more than a dozen that have been filed against Mr Combs recently, accusing the music mogul of assaults, rate and sexual extortion.
He has denied all civil and criminal claims against him.
Mr Combs is facing federal criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. A judge last week tentatively scheduled his trial to begin on 5 May 2025.
Mr Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his 16 September arrest. His lawyers have argued for his release until the trial, citing the jail’s “horrific” conditions.
A New York federal judge denied their request for bail, arguing that Mr Combs was a “serious flight risk”.
By BBC News
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