Seven new lawsuits have been filed against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, including one alleging the rape of a 13-year-old girl. These lawsuits come while his lawyers made another attempt on Monday to secure his release on bail, arguing that a “fresh wave of publicity” jeopardizes his right to a fair criminal trial.
Filed on Sunday in both state and federal courts, the lawsuits involve accusations from four men and three women, all anonymous, who claim they were sexually assaulted by Combs at parties over the last two decades.
Combs, 54, has entered a plea of not guilty to federal sex trafficking charges detailed in an indictment unsealed following his arrest on September 16. The charges allege that he coerced and abused women over several years, with the assistance of associates and employees, and suppressed victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson, and physical beatings.
Remaining in custody pending a May 5 trial, Combs has had two bail requests denied by judges, who cited significant concerns, decisions now being appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
On Sunday, Combs’ lawyers petitioned a judge to curtail statements from potential witnesses and their lawyers, claiming such comments jeopardize a fair trial. They stressed that Combs has been relentlessly targeted by prospective witnesses and their legal counsel, who, they argue, are making incendiary statements designed to damage his reputation.
According to lawyers, the newest lawsuits are just a fraction of the more than 100 accusers poised to take legal action against Combs. Plaintiffs’ lawyer Tony Buzbee highlighted the extensive litigation plans at an October 1 press conference, even publicizing a hotline for accusers to call.
In response, Combs’ representatives have dismissed these latest lawsuits as overt ploys for media attention. They reiterated their confidence in the factual basis, legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process, maintaining that Combs “has never sexually assaulted anyone — adult or minor, man or woman.”
One particularly disturbing lawsuit details the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl in September 2000 after the Video Music Awards in Manhattan. The girl, invited by a limousine driver, claims she was assaulted by a “male celebrity” and then by Combs, as others identified only as “Celebrity A,” a male, and “Celebrity B,” a female, looked on.
Another lawsuit alleges that Combs sexually assaulted a 17-year-old male at a Manhattan hotel penthouse party in 2022. In both cases, the plaintiffs believe their drinks were laced with drugs before the assaults occurred.
Meanwhile, Combs’ lawyers informed the 2nd Circuit on Monday of their plans to renew his bail application, citing “significant changed circumstances” related to “constitutional concerns stemming from his conditions of confinement and evidence contained in recently produced discovery.”
Prosecutors, in a recent filing, urged the appeals court to uphold the denied bail, highlighting evidence that Combs employed sophisticated means to silence and intimidate witnesses during the alleged racketeering conspiracy and the ongoing investigation.