Sean “Diddy” Combs has been slapped with a fourth lawsuit which accuses the hip hop mogul, his longtime associate Harve Pierre, and an unidentified third man of allegedly gang-raping a 17-year-old girl inside Combs’ Manhattan recording studio in 2003.
The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, claims she was trafficked from the Detroit area to New York on a private plane, given copious amounts of drugs and alcohol, and then subjected to assault in the bathroom of Daddy’s House Recording Studio, according to the New York Times.
Combs, then 34, and his associates allegedly took turns raping her during the horrifying incident.
This marks the fourth sexual assault accusation against Combs in three weeks, however, he denied the allegations shortly after the lawsuit was filed in a New York City court on Wednesday.
“Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth,” Combs wrote.
According to the lawsuit, Jane Doe met Pierre at a lounge in Detroit, where he complimented her appearance, claiming to be best friends with Combs. Pierre allegedly facilitated her impromptu trip to New York aboard a private jet, transporting her to the recording studio.
The filing includes colour photos taken inside the studio that night, purportedly showing the teen in compromising situations. The lawsuit contends that the teen was intoxicated while Combs, Pierre, and the third man made advances and groped her.
As per the complaint, Combs allegedly led her to a bathroom, where he sexually assaulted her. The lawsuit provides graphic details of the assault, including non-consensual acts and physical harm inflicted on the victim.
Jane Doe contends that the unidentified man replaced Combs during the assault, with Pierre later subjecting her to further sexual abuse. The lawsuit describes a traumatic and degrading ordeal that left the teen in significant pain.
The legal action, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that Combs and his associates spent considerable time in Detroit and had connections, including with the Black Mafia Family, a drug trafficking and money laundering operation rumored to have ties to Bad Boy Entertainment.
This lawsuit follows others, including one by R&B singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who last month also accused Combs of sexual assault and trafficking. The parties reached a settlement less than 24 hours later, with Combs asserting the resolution was not an admission of guilt.
Former Syracuse University student Joi Dickerson-Neal became the second woman to file a sexual assault lawsuit against Combs last month.
She claims Combs, 54, assaulted her after they had dinner at Wells Restaurant in Harlem and he invited her back to his studio, which he denies.
The lawsuit contends that the drug Combs allegedly gave Dickerson-Neal rendered her physically incapacitated, unable to walk or stand independently. The complaint further alleges Combs filmed the attack and showed it to “everyone” afterwards.
A third woman followed suit and filed a similar lawsuit against Combs claiming that in 1990 or 1991, Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall, 59, took turns sexually assaulting her and her friend. The lawsuit further claims that days later, Combs turned violent during an altercation.
Attorney Douglas H. Wigdor, who represented Ventura, filed the latest lawsuit on behalf of Jane Doe, citing Ventura’s claims as a catalyst for more victims to come forward. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged monetary, physical, and emotional harm suffered by Jane Doe.
Pierre, also implicated in another recent lawsuit, faces accusations of grooming, harassment, and sexual assault. The lawsuit utilizes a New York City measure, the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act, providing a “lookback” window for civil claims that previously fell outside the statute of limitations.
As these disturbing allegations surface, the legal battles against Combs continue and the #MeToo movement is regaining momentum within the music industry. The lawsuits emphasise the urgent need for accountability and justice in cases of sexual assault, as survivors speak out against powerful figures in Hollywood.
