Sean “Diddy” Combs, the renowned hip-hop mogul, is currently in federal custody facing charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. His recent arrest in New York follows a series of civil suits alleging sexual assault and physical violence, with some allegations dating back to the 1990s.
More than a dozen individuals have filed lawsuits against Combs, accusing him of leveraging his influence in the entertainment industry to engage in drugging, assaulting, and raping people. Among the accusers is a man who claims that, at 16, he was coerced to undress at a 1998 party in New York.
Combs, a Harlem native, has steadfastly denied any criminal wrongdoing.
Overview of the Criminal Case
On September 16, Combs, 54, was arrested in a New York hotel on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, and transportation for purposes of prostitution. Federal prosecutors allege that Combs created a criminal enterprise where he abused, threatened, and coerced women and others to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct. They claim Combs used drugs, violence, and his status to lure female victims into extended sex acts known as “Freak Offs.”
During raids on Combs’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March, authorities reportedly uncovered firearms, ammunition, and over 1,000 bottles of lubricant. Prosecutors have contacted several witnesses who worked under Combs and some of the accusers currently suing him, leaving open the possibility of additional charges.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the three felony counts against him. His attorney maintains that Combs is a “fighter” who is “not afraid of the charges.” Currently, Combs is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, known for its violent conditions and poor inmate care. His legal team sought his release pending trial due to the jail’s “horrific” conditions, but prosecutors argued he posed a “serious flight risk,” resulting in bail being denied twice. If convicted, Combs faces a potential sentence ranging from 15 years to life in prison.
Details of the Accusations
The first whistleblower was Combs’s former girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who filed a lawsuit last November alleging that Combs trapped her in a cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking for over a decade. Although Combs vehemently denied the claims, the case was settled amicably, with no admission of wrongdoing from Combs.
However, in May, surveillance footage emerged showing Combs assaulting Ventura in a 2016 altercation. Combs acknowledged the incident in an Instagram video, expressing disgust at his actions and taking full responsibility.
Since then, ten more individuals, including one man, have come forward with their own claims. Joi Dickerson-Neal alleged that Combs drugged and raped her when she was a student at Syracuse University in 1991 and later made her a victim of revenge porn. Combs’s representatives dismissed her lawsuit as a “money grab.”
Liza Gardner accused Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall of forcing her into sex against her will when she was 16 and choking her until she passed out. Combs’s attorney labeled these claims as “bogus.”
A lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act allowed victims to bring claims against their abusers regardless of the statute of limitations. A woman identified as Jane Doe accused Combs, former Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre, and a third person of violently gang-raping her when she was 17. Combs has dismissed these allegations as baseless.
Other accusers include Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who claimed Combs forced him to procure drugs and solicit sex workers; Grace O’Marcaigh, who alleged sexual assault aboard a yacht leased by the Combs family; Crystal McKinney, who reported being drugged and sexually assaulted in 2003; April Lampros, who described four terrifying sexual encounters with Combs; Adria English, a former adult-film actress who alleged Combs used her as a “sexual pawn”; Dawn Richards, who witnessed Combs’s violence against Ventura; and Thalia Graves, who accused Combs and his bodyguard of sedating, tying her up, and distributing a sex tape.
Six anonymous accusers also filed lawsuits, with claims ranging from rape to coercion at the hands of Combs and his associates. Combs’s legal team has dismissed these lawsuits as attempts to gain publicity, maintaining confidence in their legal defenses and the judicial process.
Combs’s attorneys assert that he has never sexually assaulted anyone, whether adult or minor, man or woman. The legal proceedings continue as Combs remains in custody, awaiting trial.
